Weather confusion - Could locals explain please (Colorado Springs, Pueblo: crime, homes)

[westcoastg]

Hi - I am looking to move to Colorado. I have been reading and still am confused about the weather. I think I figured out that the Southwest is not the warmer part like I expected. I can handle a little snow, especially it is melts quickly (no I don't ski.) I thought Pueblo sounded great, but from what I get the crime is getting worse not better there. Where do you think would be a good city that has a college or university (my profession is in higher ed) and I can hopefully buy a 4 bedroom for around 300,000. That might be unrealistic I know.

[StealthRabbit]

'warmer' part of Colorado with a college town and less expensive homes... not possible cuz there is no 'warmer' part of Colorado. West Pueblo / Canon City may be your best (only) bet.
Greeley may be the warmest 'other' 'affordable' college town, similar to Grand Junction (long way to an airport... SLC...)... not 'snowbound' not warm.

at the moment... Colorado has a 'high cost of admission (housing)' this will change, but likely never be cheap.

NM, AZ, NV has more options.
Las Cruces, NM is a 'warmer' area with a good university and very engaging community (US National Labs and military research), mtns nearby (no skiing !) ABQ is warmer than most of CO,
Prescott Valley, AZ is quite nice and similar terrain to CO, but warmer.
Carson City, NV is very near mtns, nice college, income tax free.

Other very good choices for college towns near Mtns, but warmer than CO.
La Grande, OR
Walla Walla, WA (income tax free)
Wenatchee / Ellensburg, WA
Moscow, ID
Sandpoint or Courd alene, ID(community colleges and University Extensions.

Do you have family in Colorado? What is the reason for CO.

[otowi]

I still think you should look at Pueblo. There are plenty of decent neighborhoods in Pueblo. You could also consider Lamar or La Junta if junior colleges are okay - Lamar CC and Otero CC. Those are pretty small towns, however.

[TCHP]

Not sure where you are coming from to make comparisons, but the low down on Colorado weather is that the altitude has a HUGE impact on the variability of the weather, and we have probably the most variable weather in the nation. The general perception that our latitude and longitude will give us similar weather to other place on those similar lines is patently false. We can get all four seasons in a single days sometimes. Parkas for Halloween, flip flops for Christmas, yea, weather here is fairly inconsistent at times, but humans have been adapting to it for centuries, so it is manageable.

There are numerous colleges in Colorado. What other requirements do you want to strive for other than a 4 bd for $300k or less and warmish weather and how negotiable are you on the weather aspect? If weather is a driving primary factor, some of the suggestions from StealthRabbit might carry more weight than Colorado.

[westcoastg]

Thanks for ideas. We were looking at Colorado, as we are not crazy about the New Mexico desert look. We are attracted to Colorado's beauty, that it does not get midwest cold. I had a friend live in Prescott for a while and it is beautiful, and I should reconsider. Everyone seems happy there. No one says oh I moved to Colorado for a couple of years and hated it.

[jim9251]

Originally Posted by westcoastg

. Everyone seems happy there. No one says oh I moved to Colorado for a couple of years and hated it.

Um...ahem.


Anyway, have you even visited? And in the middle of February? Might want to.

[Mike from back east]

At a budget of $300K you want COLO SPGS. It has a large and growing campus of the Univ of Colo, known as UCCS and then there's the private and pricey Colorado College in the heart of town.

[pikabike]

Freaky weather is part of CO living. That old saw about "If you don't like the weather, wait a minute"? I heard it in New England, CO, and coastal WA. Of those places, it did not apply to coastal WA, whose weather is very predictable. New England, it fit somewhat, but to nowhere near the degree that it fits CO. The weather often changes FAST.

Wind from dead calm to roaring 70 mph chinook gusts? Yup.
Late autumn noon temp of 68 degrees and clear sunny sky hurrying to pounding rain/thunder/lightning, within minutes shifting to hail, then loud corn snow (thundersnow), and then to steady, heavy snow within a few hours? You bet.

I moved away for four years and found that I actually missed the dramatic weather. BUT it can also be dangerous, and frequently it is a PITA! Did I mention that it is often a PITA? You have to be flexible with plans for outdoor activities. Not just fun recreational stuff like biking or hiking, but also work such as yard work and construction.

[Vision67]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

At a budget of $300K you want COLO SPGS. It has a large and growing campus of the Univ of Colo, known as UCCS and then there's the private and pricey Colorado College in the heart of town.

^^^I'd second that.

For $300K you can find a 4 bdrm, 2 bath, 2 car garage close to UCCS on a city lot. It will probably be 25 years old and need some tlc, but it's doable.

UCCS is one of the best things going for Colorado Springs.

[unbeliever]

Originally Posted by westcoastg

No one says oh I moved to Colorado for a couple of years and hated it.

Sure they do. I moved to Colorado and dislike it. I was taught to never use the word hate unless I meant it.