Is it normally this rainy in the summer? (Denver, Colorado Springs: employment, camp)

[Trump_Fan1]

The weather is great. The rain is great. Let's hope it keeps up. Seems to be a better Monsoon than usual.

[Kar54]

I was born in Denver and have lived along the Front Range most of my life. We seem to go through Monsoon periods. We will get afternoon showers, usually July-August, for 5-6 seasons in a row. Then we'll go 2-3 without it. Then back again. Obviously, it's a cyclical event. I've always preferred the Monsoon seasons for reasons such as afternoon cooldowns and not having to water my lawn!

[Freak On a Leash]

Originally Posted by TCHP

Bailing on Colorado because its too wet. There is a point of view we rarely ever hear.

I know, most people complain about it being too DRY but I LOVE dry, sunny weather! Constant grey and rain makes me depressed. I wouldn't mind if it was a day of rain every once in awhile or an hour here or there, which is what I was TOLD it would do. Maybe this is an unusually wet summer but it's driving me crazy. After a wonderful June, it's rained every day for 2-4 hours/day for the past two weeks and I'm told this is normal and from what I'm reading here, it seems to confirm it. I'm in the mountains and since the first week of July it has rained EVERY DAY for 1-4 hours with the exception of one day. In June I was able to come home and sit outside and watch the sun set and now it's just rainy, damp and chilly.

I hate rainy weather with a passion. I will cancel trips because of it. I will go out of my way to avoid it. Last year I was planning to go to Newfoundland and then I found out how much it rains there (almost every day!)...So I changed everything and went to California for August and September and when it started raining/snowing there I went to the desert southwest from October-December. In those months I saw rain maybe 7 times. When it started to rain, I just kept moving south. I don't mind cold. I slept outdoors with in 19 degree weather. I can do this as long as it's DRY. I will go outside and ski in zero degrees in a snowstorm but will head inside in 50 degree rainy weather. I've just always been like this.

I love to camp out under the stars, cowboy style or without the fly on my tent. I was able to do this last year when I was in California and the desert southwest. I would wake up to beautiful blue skies and it STAYED that way all day and into the night. It was amazing. Do you ever get that here in Colorado? I can't do it here in the summer. Maybe in the fall it's different?

Snow is a different matter. I LOVE snow. I love to ski and am looking forward to SNOW here. I intend to make Colorado my home for the winter and perhaps the fall but the rainy/dampness in spring and summer isn't for me. Reminds me too much of the east coast (where I'm originally from) where we get cold rain in the spring and afternoon thunderstorms that ruin my plans.

For 30 years I lived and put up with weather I hated on the east coast. I won't do that for the reminder of my life and I like the idea of exploring new areas in any case. I love Colorado but the summer rainy monsoon season isn't for me. I'm glad you all seem to like it. Maybe if I was into gardening and not camping I'd appreciate it more.

[Freak On a Leash]

Originally Posted by hollyt00

I'm with Doodlemom. I'd take these rainy days over wildfires any day.

Freak on a Leash, you should Arizona.

I don't want wildfires either! There was one a few miles from my house in early July and we almost had to evacuate! Yes we need some rain to keep things green and safe! But having it rain every day for half the day isn't good either. At least to me. There has to be a happy medium.

With regards to Arizona...Been there, done that last year. I spent October and November in southern Utah and Arizona. And Arizona was fairly dry except for a week in Sedona where it rained for several days so I packed up and headed south to Tucson and it was beautiful again.

Arizona is amazing in the winter-spring and again in the late fall but you can keep the summers. Monsoon season is a fact of life there. It's raining as much there, if not more at this time. I probably WILL go to Arizona during the springtime, once ski season ends.

I'm talking SUMMER weather. I love cold and snow. I hate hot, humid, damp and rain EVERY DAY all summer.

[Freak On a Leash]

Originally Posted by DrDog

What I find frustrating about this every evening rain is each following morning seeing water flowing down the streets from lawn sprinklers running. People, turn your sprinklers off for a week and your lawns will be fine.

I agree with this! Isn't water conservation a priority? I don't understand why my apartment complex has the sprinklers running EVERY night after it's rained 2-4 hours! Such a waste of water! I saw the same thing on the California coast where it's damp and foggy every morning into the afternoon. The sprinklers would come in! In a state that IS dry in most of it and in a drought! I can't understand that.

[Freak On a Leash]

Originally Posted by coschristi

I actually think it's way wetter this summer & I've lived here since 1973. Yes; a thunderstorm in the afternoon is normal but they usually don't produce enough rain to even water your lawn. I think the only wetter summer I remember was either 1990 or 1991.

I think we need it though because we had such a dry winter. It's getting old to me too (the rain) but it's better than the fires & heavy smoke in the air. If I had my way we would be having our typical dry summer after a winter of epic, heavy snow.

I'm with you on that! I have been wondering (just as the OP is) if this is indeed normal? I was told that usually the storms last an hour or so, enough to cool things down, and then stop. Instead it starts around 1 pm with the clouds building, the rain comes in around 2 pm and it rains pretty steadily until 5 pm. It's damp and cool too. Then it stays cloudy and damp for a lot of the evening. Not conducive to camping. I've given up on that.

Mornings are beautiful so I get up early and do what I want to do with regards to hiking/biking but I miss camping.

[TCHP]

Originally Posted by Freak On a Leash

After a wonderful June, it's rained every day for 2-4 hours/day for the past two weeks and I'm told this is normal and from what I'm reading here, it seems to confirm it. I'm in the mountains and since the first week of July it has rained EVERY DAY for 1-4 hours with the exception of one day. In June I was able to come home and sit outside and watch the sun set and now it's just rainy, damp and chilly.

Patience, young Padawan. The dry days will return when they are ready to.

[TCHP]

I saw someone over the the SoCal forum complaining about their monotonously dry and consistent weather. Maybe a house swap is in order.

[StarrySkiesAbove]

Freak On A Leash, if it impacts your summer activities that much then maybe another drier western state would be a better summer fit for you. The mountain rains are a regular occurrence.

I love to camp and backpack and the summer rains have never stopped me but I grew up here so it's what I am used to.

In the summers, in the mountains especially, you will get the rains unless the area is in a drought. We always hike early so we could get our camp set up before the afternoon rains. Do our exploring and then take a light nap in the tent listening to the rain. When it stopped we would cook our dinner and by night have our campfire under the stars.

I do like sleeping under the stars rather than a tent but it's not often possible here. The under the stars sleeping I have done has been mainly in New Mexico (which is beautiful and gets little rain), Utah and Arizona.

You have to expect the summer rains in the mountains, that's why if you climb 14ers (the fourteen thousand foot peaks Colorado is known for in case anyone doesn't know) you need to start early so you can be off the summit before noon and down below timberline before the storms. We have a few fatalities each season from lightning in the mountains. I was caught in an early storm once above timberline on Mount of the Holy Cross, it's something I never want to repeat. The air was so super charged that it was crackling and every hair on our bodies was standing up. We all made it down but it was terrifying.

[mtngigi]

Originally Posted by StarrySkiesAbove

Freak On A Leash, if it impacts your summer activities that much then maybe another drier western state would be a better summer fit for you. The mountain rains are a regular occurrence.

I love to camp and backpack and the summer rains have never stopped me but I grew up here so it's what I am used to.

In the summers, in the mountains especially, you will get the rains unless the area is in a drought. We always hike early so we could get our camp set up before the afternoon rains. Do our exploring and then take a light nap in the tent listening to the rain. When it stopped we would cook our dinner and by night have our campfire under the stars.

I do like sleeping under the stars rather than a tent but it's not often possible here. The under the stars sleeping I have done has been mainly in New Mexico (which is beautiful and gets little rain), Utah and Arizona.

You have to expect the summer rains in the mountains, that's why if you climb 14ers (the fourteen thousand foot peaks Colorado is known for in case anyone doesn't know) you need to start early so you can be off the summit before noon and down below timberline before the storms. We have a few fatalities each season from lightning in the mountains. I was caught in an early storm once above timberline on Mount of the Holy Cross, it's something I never want to repeat. The air was so super charged that it was crackling and every hair on our bodies was standing up. We all made it down but it was terrifying.

I agree ... the weather never kept me from hiking or backpacking. There's something really nice about resting in your tent after a long hike as a cooling rain falls.