Winter in Colorado, 2012-2013 (Denver, Pueblo: vehicles, property, metro)

[jim9251]

Well today will be the 21st day in a row where the daytime high temp is below 32 degrees f. The snow from last week is staying put. Another winter storm forecast for the western slope Thursday evening through Friday with 2 feet of snow forecast for the high country. Stay tuned.

[Josseppie]

^

Ya. I have seen the forecast for Denver on Saturday with the home playoff game and it says a chance of snow and a high only around 20.

[CosmicWizard]

jim9251 wrote: Well today will be the 21st day in a row where the daytime high temp is below 32 degrees f.

This reminds me of a cold streak when I was kid growing up in southeastern PA. IF ( and that's a big IF! ) I remember correctly, we had a streak of 30 days below freezing. People were freaking out because a cold streak of that duration was so uncommon in that part of the country. In the Grand Valley, it seems like we have a cold streak just about every winter, but usually not quite this long without a break.

[CosmicWizard]

jim9251 wrote: Well today will be the 21st day in a row where the daytime high temp is below 32 degrees f.

What a difference a year makes! During the winter of 2011-2012, there were only 4 days during the entire winter when the temperature did not rise above freezing in Grand Junction.

[CosmicWizard]

As cold as it has been in the western slope valleys this winter, Gunnison has not been spectacularly frigid. Most of the day time highs in Gunnison have been about the same as the daytime highs in Grand Junction, and there has not been a single day thus far this winter when the temperature has not risen above zero. Probably not going to be one of those years in Gunnison when the temperature stays below zero for a week at a time. Hopefully, the worst of the cold is behind us, but we still got a long way to go before we are out of the woods.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

As cold as it has been in the western slope valleys this winter, Gunnison has not been spectacularly frigid. Most of the day time highs in Gunnison have been about the same as the daytime highs in Grand Junction, and there has not been a single day thus far this winter when the temperature has not risen above zero. Doesn't look like it'll be one of those years in Gunnison when the temperature stays below zero for a week at a time. Hopefully, the worst of the cold is behind us, but we still got a long way to go before we are out of the woods.

Alamosa is getting the cold this winter, so far, lows in the minus -25F range almost every night. We're looking at single digits in Denver this weekend, I wonder what that means for Alamosa - minus -40F?

[Westcliffe]

It looks like it means about -36. Amazing how they actually swing up in the day though. The last time they we at -29 they swung up to around 20! I always defend that place. I think people are way too hard on the valley. Honestly I would still live there if I had to choose between that and living back in Midwest. Still more to do and more sun! A little off topic though.

I am thankful where my home sits for the whole "sitting above the cold sink". Our climate is much more in line with Taos New Mexico being 400ft above the river than it is with our own town. So much easier to heat a home when it is 0 out than -20 During the day we don't gain much more though as the cold layer raises just a bot during the day - same thing in summer.

I thought Moab was exempt from inversions. Boy was I wrong! A low of -17 and high of 9 last week? What is that? I bet they were really beside themselves......... I tell ya, I lived in the foothills along the Front Range and I sure miss living in the Ponderosa zone where the cold and hot come and go so quickly. It is too bad that Lakewood or Littleton are so damn crowded. That is my perfect climate. Mild winters, not too much snow, wonderful summer, and tons of sun along with summer monsoon. I like some of you get very bored and annoyed when the weather stays the same for a week straight. Could NEVER do CA again where the wet season dry season dominates the summer with not a drop of rain.

[Idunn]

Alamosa and Gunnison often seem the two places vying for coldest place in Colorado on any given night. With Alamosa decidedly more so sometimes.

This Friday temperatures throughout Colorado are forecast to become more brisk, with highs for the day dropping roughly 20 degrees. According to (sometimes accurate) Weather.com, Broomfield in the relatively temperate Front Range region will have a high of 23º F on Saturday, with a low of 9º F. Cañon City in our so-called banana belt is forecast at 28º/12, thus slightly warmer.

Meanwhile, in the center of the San Luis Valley, Alamosa is predicted to be 11º/-35º (as in thirty-five degrees below zero). Towns on the edge of the valley are actually somewhat warmer, and without the severe temperature drop come night. Even Creede to the west and well within the mountains should be 12º/-6º on Saturday.

Alamosa's rival, Gunnison, will come nowhere matching it that day, at a forecast 17º/-22º. Nearby Crested Butte is also reputed to have cold temperatures, but similar to Gunnison this date, at 13º/-15º.

Many of the coldest places in the United States are along the Continental Divide in Colorado, and as well in the vicinity of Yellowstone National Park. However, with a record low of -50º F in 1948 [1], Alamosa cannot begin to match some of the coldest records. On January, 23, 1971, Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska, near the Arctic Circle, recorded the lowest temperature in the US, at -80º F. This did not eclipse the record North American low set by Snag in the Yukon of Canada, with -81.4º F on February 3, 1947. In the continental US, the official coldest temperature was -70º on January 20, 1954 at Rogers Pass, Montana. At 5,470 feet in elevation, this pass resides northwest of Helena, MT. [2] (An interesting resource, with lots of data).

Several states, including Utah, Wyoming, and even Oregon, have recorded all time lows lower than in Alamosa. In Colorado, Maybell beats it with a record low of -61º F on February 1, 1985.

Unlike some of these locals, however, Alamosa also enjoys high summer temperatures, with a record 96º F in 1989. That comes nowhere close to highs along the Front Range, at times in triple digits. But they cannot also match Alamosa in its large swings between highs and lows. Because of this Alamosa receives some relief, at least during the day. Other locals are more consistently cold. The most significantly so is Mount Washington, New Hampshire, with a low average temperature of 27.4º F. The Climax Mine in Colorado comes in close, at an average of 30.6º. The Yellowstone region deserves honorable mention. The town of Crested Butte, CO is well up that list, at 33.8º F on average.

Despite advertising itself as the coldest place in the US (on occasion), Alamosa can't even match the champs on number of freezing days (or in this case temperatures below 32º F for 270 or more days). The eastern Sierra ghost town of Bodie, CA tops that list, at 308 days. Stanley, Idaho is right up there, at 292 days. Fraser, Colorado is close, at 288 days. Silverton and Dillon, CO are tied, at 271 days each.

Stanley, ID, at 6,260 feet, is most often the coldest place outside of Alaska, having set the record low for 398 days between 1995 and 2005. West Yellowstone, MT is second, at 337 days. Gunnison, CO is third, at 170 days. Truckee, California, of all places, even beats Alamosa, with a record 161 days. Alamosa is fifth on that list, with a record 142 days as coldest place between these dates.

If anything, Alamosa surely one of the best in mood swings between highs and lows. One can reliably be thawed out or sweltering during the day—and chilly to frozen come night.

1) 'Alamosa is the coldest place in US,' Valley Courier
Valley Courier Alamosa is the coldest place in US

2) 'Coldest Places in United States,' Current Results
Coldest Places in United States - Current Results

[jim9251]

Winter Storm Warning for the western slope for Friday. Additional snow forecast anywhere from nothing to 2 feet or more for the high country and colder temps for the weekend and next week. YAY!

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by jim9251

Winter Storm Warning for the western slope for Friday. Additional snow forecast anywhere from nothing to 2 feet or more for the high country and colder temps for the weekend and next week. YAY!

Yep, I plan on not venturing far tomorrow and Saturday. High winds and very cold temps are going to be a big part of this storm.

I came in yesterday and it was a very beautiful, classic Colorado winter day you get sometimes with warmer temps, clear skies and no big winds. Very nice drive.