Is Denver Metro 4 seasons? (Greeley, Golden: schools, to live in, pollution)

[Scorpion3510]

Hi everyone! I'm wondering if the Denver metro is a 4 seasons climate? I understand how dry it is there after visiting but does it follow the same 4 season pattern as the east coast?


Weather data shows there is precipitation in all months although I assume in the colder months it's in the form of snow.


I love varied, changing, wild weather and was thinking about a Denver relocation as possibility at some point. What is the area of the metro that gets the most snow/rain/changing weather? I would assume closer to the mountains would get more but I could be wrong on this.


Thanks in advance!

[otowi]

If you mean 4 seasons in a single day, sometimes, yes! If you mean 4 seasons in a year, sort of. Spring is a little more like winter then summer here, or sometimes winter is like spring today, winter tomorrow, spring the next day, etc.

[COcheesehead]

I've seen four seasons in a few hours.

[Scorpion3510]

Originally Posted by COcheesehead

I've seen four seasons in a few hours.

To me, I actually enjoy this. I used to live in Cleveland and they had 4 seasons in one day as well.

[Scorpion3510]

I also lived in Flagstaff, AZ for a couple years. I imagine that Denver metro is probably similar to that? Snowy, dry, cold winters with cool summers & frequent thunderstorms? Sunshine dominates most of the year.

[maciesmom]

Cool summers?

No..not in Denver.

[LHS79]

Originally Posted by Scorpion3510

To me, I actually enjoy this. I used to live in Cleveland and they had 4 seasons in one day as well.

Was born in Cleveland at St. Lukes (dad was an MD/Cardiologist there when it was a hospital) and we lived in Shaker Heights- dad moved us here when the school bussing started in Cleveland (in '73). They were bussing in the poor kids in to the Shaker schools and dad was having NONE of that LOL.

About all I remember about the winters there was the snow that fell was gray and gritty- probably due to the pollution. It also never melted and we had a snow plow service for the driveway.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by Scorpion3510

I also lived in Flagstaff, AZ for a couple years. I imagine that Denver metro is probably similar to that? Snowy, dry, cold winters with cool summers & frequent thunderstorms? Sunshine dominates most of the year.

Yes on the sunshine, but we get plenty of hot summer days in the 90s and occasional 100s. It is very dry.

Our weather is extremely variable. It’s one of my favorite things about it. No long, gray winters and frequent summer thunderstorms.

[cornsnicker3]

Originally Posted by Scorpion3510

Hi everyone! I'm wondering if the Denver metro is a 4 seasons climate? I understand how dry it is there after visiting but does it follow the same 4 season pattern as the east coast?


Weather data shows there is precipitation in all months although I assume in the colder months it's in the form of snow.


I love varied, changing, wild weather and was thinking about a Denver relocation as possibility at some point. What is the area of the metro that gets the most snow/rain/changing weather? I would assume closer to the mountains would get more but I could be wrong on this.


Thanks in advance!

Most people toss the term around to really mean that it gets an appreciable amount of snow. Obviously, yes.

If, by 4-seasons, you mean there are 4 distinct and identifiable seasons approximately 3 months long with generally predictable patterns, not really.

When I lived in Greeley and Golden, you could see rain, snow, clouds, and sun in one day with a massive change in temperature in that day. It happens other places for sure, but Colorado is notorious for this behavior. Even here in Duluth where weather is mighty unpredictable, we would not expect such a wild variation.

[bluescreen73]

Denver experiences all 4 seasons, but as others have said they're not uniform. We can get snow as early as September or as late as the middle of May, but the snow flies typically between October and late April.

Winter's great. It's not consistently snowy or gloomy and there will be significant stretches where there isn't any snow on the ground at all. It can be 60 one day and 30 the next. Most snowstorms are 2-6" tops and the sun melts the snow after a few days.

Summers are hot, but not unbearable. Because it's so dry even when it's in the upper 90s you can almost count on the temperature cooling rapidly into the 60s by sunrise.

Because of the variability in the weather, spring and fall are the least well-defined seasons. It can be in the 80s one day and the 30s/40s the next. It can take some getting used to.

The upside is there is outdoor recreation galore. Even in the dead of winter you'll find me on a trail somewhere either hiking or snowshoeing.