Your dream climatic averages (Denver, climate, tornadoes, snowfall)

[Patricius Maximus]

Originally Posted by §AB

Show us the average temps and rainfall of your dreams

Time for my dream climate to be unleashed...

A fictitious location, based on 30 years of equally fictitious weather data. Temps in Fahrenheit and Precip/Snow in Inches:


January: Avg Hi 3, Avg Lo -14, Rec Lo -70, Rec Hi 38, Avg Monthly Max 28, Avg Monthly Min -42, Avg Precip 1.59, Avg Snow 43.13

February: Avg Hi 8, Avg Lo -9, Rec Lo -56, Rec Hi 39, Avg Monthly Max 31, Avg Monthly Min -34, Avg Precip 1.86, Avg Snow 48.41

March: Avg Hi 30, Avg Lo 12, Rec Lo -45, Rec Hi 62, Avg Monthly Max 55, Avg Monthly Min -18, Avg Precip 4.09, Avg Snow 28.42

April: Avg Hi 47, Avg Lo 27, Rec Lo -23, Rec Hi 76, Avg Monthly Max 70, Avg Monthly Min 4, Avg Precip 3.97, Avg Snow 14.35

May: Avg Hi 58, Avg Lo 35, Rec Lo 3, Rec Hi 89, Avg Monthly Max 77, Avg Monthly Min 16, Avg Precip 2.57, Avg Snow 8.55

June: Avg Hi 65, Avg Lo 41, Rec Lo 10, Rec Hi 88, Avg Monthly Max 79, Avg Monthly Min 31, Avg Precip 1.14, Avg Snow 0.45

July: Avg Hi 66, Avg Lo 43, Rec Lo 24, Rec Hi 90, Avg Monthly Max 82, Avg Monthly Min 34, Avg Precip 1.17, Avg Snow 0.05

August: Avg Hi 63, Avg Lo 41, Rec Lo 20, Rec Hi 88, Avg Monthly Max 77, Avg Monthly Min 32, Avg Precip 1.58, Avg Snow 0.06

September: Avg Hi 53, Avg Lo 33, Rec Lo 2, Rec Hi 87, Avg Monthly Max 73, Avg Monthly Min 18, Avg Precip 3.97, Avg Snow 4.15

October: Avg Hi 43, Avg Lo 24, Rec Lo -42, Rec Hi 76, Avg Monthly Max 65, Avg Monthly Min 2, Avg Precip 3.11, Avg Snow 14.82

November: Avg Hi 30, Avg Lo 11, Rec Lo -44, Rec Hi 70, Avg Monthly Max 59, Avg Monthly Min -14, Avg Precip 4.02, Avg Snow 33.45

December: Avg Hi 8, Avg Lo -10, Rec Lo -50, Rec Hi 40, Avg Monthly Max 32, Avg Monthly Min -35, Avg Precip 1.65, Avg Snow 40.2


Average Annual Temperature: 29.5

Average Annual Maximum: 82

Average Annual Minimum: -42

Average Annual Precipitation: 30.72, with distinct peaks in Mar-Apr and Sep-Nov, and a trough in Dec-Feb, and a greater trough in Jun-Aug

Average Annual Snowfall: 236.04, usually between Sep and May, with Jun snow being uncommon and Jul-Aug snow being rare

Average Annual Sunshine: Around 2400 hours, peaking in July and troughing in November

The climate of my dreams has a Koeppen classification of Dsc (Dry Summer Continental Subarctic). It takes most after Winnipeg, with winters being similar, but with much more snowfall (sort of like Yellowstone) and weaker warm spells. Springs are also somewhat similar, but colder and with a seasonal lead similar to Fairbanks, Alaska. It also takes cues from Alberta and Colorado, with weather being variable and quite unstable; in many ways, it's a colder version of an Alberta Spring. Summers are quite mild but still warm, being most like a coastal Alaska or Northern Scandanavian Summer, but with a dry season typical of the Mediterranean climates of the Pacific Northwest. Autumns do not really take after any real-world location, but are somewhat similar to Northern Scandanavia, but much more variable, and a sudden onset of winter weather.

In summary, my dream climate can be best thought of as a hybrid of Winnipeg, Northern Scandanavia, Coastal Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Alberta, and Yellowstone.

It also is very windy, with gale-force gusts being commonplace at all times of the year (even in summer), with 50+ mph gusts being common outside of summer. Hurricane-force wind events usually occur a few times a year (however, power outages are no worry because all lines are located underground by necessity ). Blizzard conditions are a common, regular occurrence between November and March, sometimes reaching severe blizzard criteria. It is common to have winds sustained over 20 mph for 5 consecutive days. Days with light and variable winds are a novelty. Also note that all the heat in the summer (which can sometimes exceed 80 degrees for a week at a time) is dry heat, and often gets very dry (humidity <10%) during heat waves (when the temp is more than 85). Windy conditions are common when it gets hot. Dry months in summer can in some years create dust storms, but they are rarely severe.

Low temperatures in summer are usually quite stable, staying in the 40's regardless of the high temperature (in fact, during heat waves the dry conditions often cause low temps to cool off to the low 40's). Variance down to 35 or up to 55 is normal, but usually fleeting. Dew points or low temperatures above 60 are rare. There have been periods where years have gone by with no lows of 50 or warmer.

A final note: Thunder is commonplace here at all times of the year, occuring in winter from thundersnow-producing blizzards, and in the summer from synoptic thunderstorms. All months average around 5 thunder days. In wetter summers, there can be severe thunderstorm outbreaks producing extremely strong derechos and some hail and tornadoes, but usually not a great deal of rain.

[ilovemycomputer90]

^Fantastic climate. Winters are a little colder than I like, but the snow makes up for it. Love that it's windy and generally cool.

[dunno what to put here]

Wow, snow in all months.

December 31: High 65 Low 55 Partly cloudy. Light 5 to 9mph Southwest winds.

January 1: High 60 Low 50 Cloudy. Light 5 to 9 mph South winds. Foggy most of the day and night. 30% of the time the Fog will be super dense around zero visibility.
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January 2: High 63 Low 52 Cloudy with Moderate Rain from early Morning until Early evening. There will be 1.09 of rain. Windy with Southeast winds sustained at 27mph and gusts to 33mph.

January 3: High 55 Low 47 Partly cloudy. East winds at 14 to 18mph.

January 4: High 45 Low 35 Sunny. Northeast winds at 7 to 12mph

January 5: High 43 Low 33 Sunny. Light Northeast winds at 4 to 8mph.

January 6: High 35 Low 25 Sunny. Northeast winds at 10 to 15mph.

January 7: High 33 Low 27 Cloudy. North winds at 10 to 14mph.

January 8: High 30 Low 26 Cloudy. Heavy snow and Moderate snow with Blizzard conditions from early morning to mid evening. Windy Northeast winds sustained at 26mph and gusts to 38 mph. There will be 25 inches of snow (around 2 feet) for total accumulation.

January 9: High 31 Low 20 Sunny. North winds at 13 to 17mph.

January 10: High 6 Low -7 Cloudy. Windy with Northwest winds sustained at 27 mph and gusts to 37mph. Windchills -30 to -40 below zero.

January 11: High 32 Low 20 Partly Cloudy. Windy with Northeast winds sustained at 20 mph and gusts to 35 mph.

January 12: High 50 Low 40 Cloudy. Foggy the entire day and night with super dense Fog around zero visibility 90% of the time. Light 5 to 8 mph South winds.

January 13: High 72 Low 58 Sunny and without a cloud in the sky. Windy with Southwest winds sustained at 25 mph and gusts to 30mph.

January 14: High 69 Low 55 Sunny. Light West winds at 4 to 8mph.

January 15: High 40 Low 30 Cloudy. Windy with Northwest winds sustained at 21 mph and gusts to 28mph.
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Summary for recent climate conditions: December was mostly mild with 60s/50s for highs and 50s/40s for lows. The 7 coldest days in December had highs in the mid 40s and lows in the mid 30s.

January alternates between cold and mild weather. January has around 15 to 20 days with an arctic blast. However, January also has 10 to 15 mild weather days. There are two very heavy snow blizzards in January with an extra moderate snow event. There are some mild weather days in between these snow events shortly after extreme cold. January gets 48 inches of snow total, but December and February usually get zero.

It can go from around -7 degrees/8 degrees to 72 degrees within just 3 days two different times in January.

February becomes much more mild than January and is similar to December in temperatures, but is much more cloudier and wet than December.

[cjg5]

Originally Posted by

January 10: High 6 Low -7 Cloudy. Windy with Northwest winds sustained at 27 mph and gusts to 37mph. Windchills -30 to -40 below zero.

January 11: High 32 Low 20 Partly Cloudy. Windy with Northeast winds sustained at 20 mph and gusts to 35 mph.

January 12: High 50 Low 40 Cloudy. Foggy the entire day and night with super dense Fog around zero visibility 90% of the time. Light 5 to 8 mph South winds.

January 13: High 72 Low 58 Sunny and without a cloud in the sky. Windy with Southwest winds sustained at 25 mph and gusts to 30mph.

I've never understood weather forecasts (even fictional ones) that had such features as this. How can a low for one day be several degrees higher than the high from the previous day? (Likewise, how can the high for one day be several degrees lower than the low from the previous day?). Did the temperature suddenly rise (or drop) by several degrees exactly at midnight?

[dunno what to put here]

It's common in the Midwest, one place in the Midwest recorded its highest and lowest temperature in one day, I believe, or a date record, something like that!

Originally Posted by cjg5

I've never understood weather forecasts (even fictional ones) that had such features as this. How can a low for one day be several degrees higher than the high from the previous day? (Likewise, how can the high for one day be several degrees lower than the low from the previous day?). Did the temperature suddenly rise (or drop) by several degrees exactly at midnight?

I see weather forecasts for what you describe plenty of times in real life climates.

The high/low is for the same exact day. The low temperature usually happens during late night time/early to mid morning and the high temperature usually is reached early to late afternoon. This happens like 90-95% of the time but not 100% of the time.

The wind direction can change temperatures drastically. In my dream climate, any North wind direction brings much colder temperatures, and any South direction brings much warmer temperatures. East and West winds usually warmer than the North wind direction but colder than the South direction.

Plus, January in my dream climate is the month with the most extreme temperature changes.

The temperature can suddenly rise or drop from midnight to 6 am with the wind direction change. But those temperatures are already for the next day.

[cjg5]

Originally Posted by dunno what to put here

It's common in the Midwest, one place in the Midwest recorded its highest and lowest temperature in one day, I believe, or a date record, something like that!

I realize this, but this is what I mean:

Say you have a high temperature of 70 degrees, and a low temperature of 48 degrees one day. At midnight, which is the cutoff time between days, it is logical that the temperature would be either equal to or somewhere between 48 and 70 degrees (if it were higher, then that day's high temperature would be more than 70, lower, and that day's low temperature would be less than 48). So I have trouble I guess with the possibility that 11:59:59pm could be 48 degrees or above, but that 12:00:00am would be several degrees lower all of a sudden. (In other words, even if it cools off significantly between midnight and sunrise, and the temperature fails to reach as warm as it was overnight, the temperature recorded at 12:00:00am would be that day's high, 48 degrees. Likewise, if a temperature is 70 degrees at midnight and then continues to warm significantly throughout the rest of the early morning hours and the day, with even that evening's temps up to midnight never cooling back off to 70, then that day's low should be 70 degrees, recorded on that day at precisely 12:00:00am).

Even if the cutoff time for official daily recording is different than midnight (which wouldn't exactly make sense to me if it is, as one day is defined as the 24 hours from one midnight to the next), the same thing would apply, just replace 11:59:59pm and 12:00:00am with X:59:59 and Y:00:00. See what I mean?

[dunno what to put here]

Well, either way, it's just his dream climate, it doesn't have to be realistic if he doesn't want!

[cjg5]

Originally Posted by dunno what to put here

Well, either way, it's just his dream climate, it doesn't have to be realistic if he doesn't want!

I know, but I've seen such features in real life weather forecasts too and never understood it. When I saw it here it reminded me of it, so I posed the question as to how that could be possible. Ah well, back to climate dreaming!