Would I like Denver's climate? (snowy, warm, average, temperatures)

[lpfan921]

I like warm days, cool nights, and lots of sun. I like to sit out in the sun and be warm on a spring or summer afternoon, but i also like to live in a place that has decently cool nights for sleeping. Not super cold, but a bit of a chill in the air.

Seems like some of the Western climates might fit the bill for me. I am reading a lot on this forum about how the sunshine and lack of humidity makes temperatures more comfortable in both the winter and the summer.

I do not know if Denver gets enough of a summer for my liking tho. I am not crazy about the idea of snowstorms in May, early June, October, etc.

[LRUA]

I suggest Albuquerque over Denver

IMO it has a much better climate than Denver

Sunnier and has milder lows.
Earlier springs and later falls.

If you're into gardening, Albuquerque is zone 7a/7b
Denver is more 5a/5b

None of those notorious Denver temperature swings,
one day it's 70F and nice, next day it's below freezing blizzard

Albuquerque climate is the western version of where you live now

Denver's ok too, Albuquerque's climate is better

[Patricius Maximus]

From what I've seen I think you'd like a climate that is like Denver. In any case, like so many others, I'd advise you to go west for your climatic pick. If one doesn't want humidity, anywhere east of the High Plains is out.

Denver's snow in wintertime usually melts in a few days, and it isn't common for the snow to add up into a snowpack, unless they have multiple storms in quick succession (which again isn't common). Bare ground is commonplace in winter, as are warm sunny days. However this will be interspersed by colder, snowy periods. You're more concerned about spring and autumn snow, but I can tell you that from my experience watching their weather spring and autumn snow are even more fleeting than winter snow. The whole event would usually be 1 or 2 days before it pretty much disappears. However snow from September through May does occur in an average year.

Denver actually wouldn't be bad at all for you, but since you don't want the early and late snow, and want somewhat more of a summer, I think there are better choices available. The whole region around Denver has the same "cool" nights in summer, and if you go south you will encounter many places with warmer winters and a shorter snow season, and a hotter or cooler summer, depending on the altitude.

Some places in New Mexico might be good; perhaps some of the drier but still high altitude places in Utah and Arizona may also be worth taking a look. Santa Fe may provide a good starting point as to how you would rate it compared to Denver. Also comparatively rate Sierra Vista, Alamogordo, and Roswell. That should give you an idea of what to look for.

[nei]

You might like the summers and winters a bit better than Philadelphia, but the extreme variability and chance of cold weather in the shoulder season makes it unappealing in my mind (and perhaps in yours if our tastes are similar).