If you are thinking of moving to Colorado Springs, read this! (Denver: houses, to buy)

[tfox]

Originally Posted by COflower

This winter was more "normal" than it has been in a long, long time. Meaning it was normal for the 30 year average.

I can say that this winter was unusual in one respect: the number of consecutive days of snow cover -- we were just a couple days short of tying a 70+ year old record on that score. A strangely dry March put us back in the high-end of the normal range for total seasonal snowfall, but Dec/Jan snowfall was certainly WELL above normal this year.

Not that it matters. Records were made to be broken -- even Miami has been snowed in on one freak weather event! But this winter was unusual in Colorado, no doubt about that.

[GhostPoet]

Hi!
My wife and I are planning to move to Colorado Springs from Washington State...and trust me...we KNOW bad weather. Last year I mixed almost a weeks worth of work because I couldn't leave my neighborhood...too much snow.

We get LOTS of rain...lots of miserable cloudy weather and wind storms and a FEW sunny days mixed in...mainly only during July...the rest of the year is typically pretty cloudy and gloomy.

So with that in mind....will we think Colorado is heaven incarnate?

[GhostPoet]

Oh! One other question...i'm a little worried about Tornado's and lighting strikes...in washington we get crappy weather, but nothing serious like those two things...how common and dangerous are tornado's and lighting strikes in the colorado springs area? Should I buy a house with a bunker to protect myself from all the roaming tornados in the area (well, at least that's how I see it in my mind.hahaha)

[jazzlover]

Colorado Springs is one of the most lightning-prone locations in Colorado. The most lightning-prone area outside of Florida in the U.S. is on the eastern side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico. Considering that Florida can get thunderstorms year-round, and this region only from about April through early October at the longest, that indicates that the southern Rockies are pretty lightning-prone. The area around the Palmer Divide (including Colorado Springs) is only slightly less lightning-prone than the area of northern New Mexico that I just mentioned. If you don't like lightning, then the Springs isn't for you. Tornadoes strike infrequently along the Front Range (but they can) and the ones that do tend to be less severe than ones farther east. Once you get out onto the Eastern Plains, tornadoes are more likely.

As I have posted before, there is nothing "precious" or "cute" about Colorado weather. It can be extreme, highly variable, frustrating--and very interesting. That said, anyone who complains about Colorado weather being too cold, too hot, or too violent has never lived where weather really IS one of those things. The biggest thing people need to worry about with Colorado weather and climate is whether there is going to be enough water to support the state's exploding population--it IS an arid place subject to frequent, and sometimes lengthy, droughts.

[GhostPoet]

I actually like lighting...just concerned on how dangerous it is to live there in that area.
I don't wanna get struck down while i'm walking to the store. haha

We get lighting here...but it's almost always way off in the distance, not typically in large populated areas.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

As I have posted before, there is nothing "precious" or "cute" about Colorado weather. It can be extreme, highly variable, frustrating--and very interesting.

I'm a wimpy butt native Los Angeleno who moved from LA a year ago. I am used to pretty perfect weather, except the 4AM earthquakes..

To be honest, with the exception of 1) the slippery roads when we are getting nasty snow (and last year was nasty even for native Coloradoans), and 2) the 20 or so days/year when it is too cold/windy for the kids to get outside, I can't really complain about the weather and I live right on the Palmer Divide. I think the weather is really interesting (except when the lightning temporarily knocks out my high speed internet.) I love huge summer afternoon lightening and rainstorms when the temperature goes from about 85 to 60 in a half an hour. I hate driving from the Palmer Divide down Highway 83 to Powers at 5AM when it has snowed all night - that was pretty scary. But even last year that happened maybe five mornings total. My driveway is on the northside and gets hammered so I had to buy a snowblower. In October I will probably stick up a snow fence to help keep the accumulations off the driveway.


But otherwise, Colorado weather is fun, just the occasional icy driving is bad. The worst icy driving is better than the best LA traffic.

[GhostPoet]

Any of you lived in WA state before you moved to Colorado? It's hard to believe weather worse than washington.

[jazzlover]

This tells a lot (note that Colorado Springs and El Paso County are in the "red" area):

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/Image/pub/lt...climo_5sep.pdf

According to this study, Colorado ranks second in lightning fatalities, both in absolute and per capita numbers.

http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/stats/1997-2006_Fatalities+Rates.pdf (broken link)

Yes, this is personal. I happen to love thunderstorms and lightning and study them for a hobby. That said, one of my relatives by marriage was killed in Colorado by lightning. He was just walking from his house to his car during a typical afternoon thundershower. One those "at the wrong place at the wrong time" deals.

[GhostPoet]

crap. you just had to scare me....:P

You guys are putting doubts in my head about moving to Colorado...but if not there....then I can't think of anywhere else. :/ We HAVE to leave Washington state. But we want a place that's warm...and not life threatening

[jazzlover]

Well, I worry a lot more about crime than I do about lightning. Even in lightning-prone Colorado, the individual odds of getting hit by lightning are a LOT smaller than risks from crime or other hazards, especially if one isn't stupid about lightning safety.

Of course, you ARE a lot more statistically likely to be struck by lightning than to win the State Lottery. That just tells how crappy the odds are of winning the lottery . . .