Fort Collins weather/climate (Greeley, Loveland: house, unemployment, college)

[chrismetalrock]

climate comparison between FoCo and coralville
Climatology Comparison for Fort Collins, CO (80525) - weather.com

[Deselminator]

Thanks for that link. I had no idea that The Weather Channel website had anything like that!

[firefly74]

I have a few questions regarding the weather in Fort Collins. I'm considering relocating away from sub-zero, snowy Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Weather is a very important factor in deciding where I go.

Currently, I'm researching cities in Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. I'm looking for a mid-sized city with a small town feel and moderate weather.

I was on a website that said hail was very common in Fort Collins. I'm wondering if anyone could be more specific on the frequency of the hail and how large the hail is (does it damage cars?). Also, I've read that even when it does snow, it melts within a few days? And more specifically, how much of the year would you say you would be able to drive a motorcycle? And is salt used on the roadways when it does snow?

Thanks for the help!

[wickedgood]

Hi firefly74,
Fort Collins and the surrounding foothills cities and towns West of I25 get very little large hail for the most part, occasional pea sized usually. This past summer I recall seeing a little maybe twice . The hail really gets going the further East you go. Of course there are exceptions but it is few and far between. I have lived in the area for nine years and have yet to experience any hail damage(knock on wood!). So far as snow melting in a few days that is almost always true. Motorcycle riding is possible this last year from April to probably mid-to late November. We had a nice mild autumn. Also possible from this last Friday to this coming Thursday with temps being in the high 50's to low 60's with tomorrow possibly hitting the low 70's. Then a little snow on Friday. Thats a front range winter weather forecast in a nutshell. And no salt on the roads, Hallelujah! Coming from New England it is amazing still to see so many old cars on the road with no rust at all. Hope this helps.

[Lupulin]

No salt like the East, just magnesium chloride (when above the teens). Only downside, they throw down sand, which chips paint and cracks windshields. But so goes it.

Hail happens but it's rare. I've lived in CO 7 years and experienced hail a few times. No car damage yet. A garage (or a tree) helps.

Contrary to what many non-Coloradans believe, this is a great state to ride in. Like Wickedgood mentions, just look at the current weather/forecast. I've seen motorcycles out every month of the year.

Among the states you're researching, Fort Collins is by far the closest to Sturgis.

[StealthRabbit]

I rode my bike or motorcycle to work all but 3 days, the last year I lived in Loveland. I frequently rode to Ft Collins for part-time job and school, and daily to Greeley to school all but Nov through Feb.

I spent many weekends in SD, WY, and western CO. on my motorcycle. It was a nice summer evening trip (~5 hrs) to go up the Poudre Canyon (hwy 14) to Walden, and then down to Grand Lake and back over trail ridge into Estes (Hwy 34) on back to Loveland. It is tough to beat No CO for motorcycle and bike riding. (wide shoulders, curvy roads)

I bought a Ft Collins car that had hail dents about the size of tennis balls (it was pretty cheap!) That was a yr that a couple horses got killed by hail, and I had to redo my roofs. In some Ft Collins subdivisions, the hail broke through the roof (They were baseball sized stones). Usually it is pea to mothball sized.

I would live in Loveland, as Ft Collins has too much traffic and is a faster pace (except when waiting at stop lights...) I prefer the western side of Loveland, and wouldn't want to commute on east hwy 34 (Eisenhower) as the 'new' Loveland, (Centarra shopping @ I-25) makes hwy 34 a traffic nightmare. You can plan your trips and avoid traffic, or better yet, avoid affluenza and shop local.

[tfox]

What kind of hail you get can can be very dependent on exactly where you are at any given time. One small area could get huge hail where everyone else gets tiny pea sized or smaller hail. I've never personally seen baseball sized hail, but I have seen golf-ball sized hail before. If you live in FC you'll likely see some type of hail about once or twice a year or so.

Interestingly enough, I never had any car damage due to hail, but my parents retired to New Mexico and they had hail damage to their car down there.

Pretty much anywhere to the east of the divide out onto the plains, and in some mountain valleys you'll see hail. The western part of the state, not so much. This is because the hail is partially due to thunderstorms being lifted over the Rockies. The upward motion starts the circulation that produces the hail on the downside.

[Crazy88]

The weather out here is interesting. I grew up in IL, and its wierd not having huge thunderstorms here. During the summer, we get a sprinkle here and there. As far as hail, yeah we get it, but not often and not big enough to damage cars (at least in my time here). Snow = usually gone within a few days and they combat it with Mag Chloride instead of Salt which I love. Temperature = warm, and consistently warmer than Chicago during the winter which is nice. But it can get very cold sometimes. I would also say that you could ride your motorcycle for the majority of the year except for Dec, Jan and a few of the cold spell days. But yeah FC is pretty spoiled as far as weather goes.

[davit]

Originally Posted by firefly74

I have a few questions regarding the weather in Fort Collins. I'm considering relocating away from sub-zero, snowy Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Weather is a very important factor in deciding where I go.

Currently, I'm researching cities in Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. I'm looking for a mid-sized city with a small town feel and moderate weather.

I was on a website that said hail was very common in Fort Collins. I'm wondering if anyone could be more specific on the frequency of the hail and how large the hail is (does it damage cars?). Also, I've read that even when it does snow, it melts within a few days? And more specifically, how much of the year would you say you would be able to drive a motorcycle? And is salt used on the roadways when it does snow?

Thanks for the help!

I would think FC has a few sub-zero and snowy days; in fact Places Rated Almanac rates the winters worse than Milwaukee's.

Just stirring the pot

[xeric]

Well if you're sick of winter, I would not recommend Ft. Collins. If you just want more sun and some mild spells interspersed with cold and snow then you'll probably like it. Yes there are subzero nights (and the occasional days even). The temperature range between daytime high and nighttime low is generally around 30 degrees, so nights tend to be quite cold all winter. Also, the first year I lived on the Colorado Front Range, I got off of the train in downtown Denver on May 22nd and it was snowing. May and September snow and frost are not uncommon. I'm not trying to discourage you, but if you hear that the winters are mild here, take it with several grains of magnesium chloride.