Would Denver's climate be like Vegas if it were at sea level? (hot, warm)
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Leadville is a mile above the Mile High City, and it sees temperatures about 12-13F lower in the winter and 17-18F lower in the summer.
If Denver was a mile lower and followed the same pattern this would mean its summers would be around 78-103F and its winters a balmy 30-57F! This is pretty much the same as Las Vegas and I'd imagine Denver would be even drier too since it would be deeper in the Rockies' rain shadow.
I find it hard to believe a city so far inland and relatively far north would be this warm. But then again Vegas is pretty far inland too, and not that much further south.
Since Vegas is around 2000 ft, and Denver is only slightly further north, it is somewhat believable that Denver would be very hot. Also, if valsteele's rain shadow theory is true, it could be much like the middle east!
Last edited by Mr.Sir; 03-15-2015 at 07:06 PM..
Reason: Grammar, from worse to bad!
Since Vegas is around 2000 ft, and Denver is only slightly further north, it is somewhat believable that Denver would be very hot. Also, if valsteele's rain shadow theory is true, it could be much like the middle east!
Wouldn't a lower elevation also mean cold air would pool in the valley that the city is now in, meaning that on calm clear nights in the winter in could get quite cold.
Wouldn't a lower elevation also mean cold air would pool in the valley that the city is now in, meaning that on calm clear nights in the winter in could get quite cold.
Possibly? I wonder if anyone knows better than me.
Since Vegas is around 2000 ft, and Denver is only slightly further north, it is somewhat believable that Denver would be very hot. Also, if valsteele's rain shadow theory is true, it could be much like the middle east!
I don't think it would be that hot.
This general calculation is true but doesn't take in account thermal inversions that occurr at lower elevations and that heavily influence the climate.
Denver lies at 1600 m (5200 feet) and has an average mean of 10°C.
Dodge City, Kansas lies at an altitude of 800 m (2600 feet) and already has an average mean of 13°C. Its average high in January is the same of Denver despite being 800 metres lower; its average high in July is 2°C warmer. Overall, it is 3°C degrees warmer than Denver and not 5°C.
Wichita lies at 400 m (1300 feet) and has an average mean of 14°C. Its average high in January is already lower than Denver's. Its average high in July is still 2°C warmer than Denver's.
Overall, it is 4°C warmer and not 8°C.
So my guess is that Denver, located at sea level in the same geographical area (in a large plain, in the interior of the continent, just east of the Rockies, with foehn winds) would probably have averages like: -4°C/8°C in January, 23°C/35°C in July.
Denver lies at 1600 m (5200 feet) and has an average mean of 10°C.
Dodge City, Kansas lies at an altitude of 800 m (2600 feet) and already has an average mean of 13°C. Its average high in January is the same of Denver despite being 800 metres lower; its average high in July is 2°C warmer. Overall, it is 3°C degrees warmer than Denver and not 5°C.
Wichita lies at 400 m (1300 feet) and has an average mean of 14°C. Its average high in January is already lower than Denver's. Its average high in July is still 2°C warmer than Denver's.
Overall, it is 4°C warmer and not 8°C.
So my guess is that Denver, located at sea level in the same geographical area (in a large plain, in the interior of the continent, just east of the Rockies, with foehn winds) would probably have averages like: -4°C/8°C in January, 23°C/35°C in July.
Winters get cooler as you go east of the Rockies, very clear if you looked at a 850 mb map. Largely because the Rockies affect airflow patterns (pull arctic air to the east). And as you said, foehn winds. But yes, I agree you can't interpolate downward by altitude. One problem with the question is the mountains affect the local climate. Are we just changing Denver or removing all the western mountains (of which the Rockies are one of many). West of all the big western mountains at sea level and same latitude as Denver:
the mountains affect the precipitation patterns, and make cold air rare in Chico; hard to say what no mountains would be. Or perhaps the OP means if the mountains were still there but Denver was at sea level instead of at a plain at 5000 feet (similar to how Po Valley northern Italian cities are on a plain about sea level and face mountains Rocky Mountain height)? If a foehn wind was coming and the air directly from the west, you'd get some very hot weather; the altitude rule that Mt. Sir posted would roughly apply. If the airflow was from the south, you'd get a slightly cooler version of Texan weather I think. I'd guess somewhere between 5-10°F hotter overall.
Winters get cooler as you go east of the Rockies, very clear if you looked at a 850 mb map. Largely because the Rockies affect airflow patterns (pull arctic air to the east).
I guessed that; however I don't think that a sea level Denver would have the climate of Baghdad or Las Vegas, which are located in a desert and much more southward. The temperature difference with Kansas would be too high.
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Its average high in July is still 2°C warmer than Denver's.
