| Our weather is very variable. We tend to have temperature differences of 40 to 50 degrees each day and can have sun, rain, snow, hail, and then sun again in a single day. Click here for our current weather and local forecasts.
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| In the 1980's and early 1990's, our weather was colder than the last few years. In November, December, and January, the temperature would regularly fall to -40°F to -50°F and the daytime temperature would be 0°F to 10°F. As this picture shows, we had snowfalls of 3 or more feet. There is a yard stick laid next to the plowed snow bank in the lower right hand corner of the photograph showing the snow was over 36 inches deep. |
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Jack purchased this tractor in 1987 to maintain our driveway and to remove snow. He chose to use a snow blower rather than a blade. The snow blower throws the snow 20 to 30 feet from the driveway. A blade would push the snow in hard, packed piles along the driveway and, eventually, we would have no place left to push the snow. In the last few years, our winter weather has been affected by El Niño and, consequently, has been milder with temperatures falling to -10°F to -20°F at night and raising to 40°F to 50°F during the day. The deepest snowfall has been about 8 inches. We tend to have brilliantly sunny days in winter with clear blue skies. The sun quickly melts the snow from the hillsides and the majority of the driveway. Rarely does snow persist for a week or more in most areas on our property except during the coldest periods The humidity is very low all year round. This is especially appealing because with a low humidity and a temperature of 40°F to 50°F, we often hike in the winter months with just shorts and a T-shirt. We can sit on our deck and, with the brilliant sun, get quite hot and a sun burn if we are not careful. Therefore, while our temperatures may be colder than lower altitudes, our winter days can feel warmer and milder to us. |
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Spring brings warmer days and nights along with wet, heavy snow falls. March and April are excellent months to ski in Colorado as the daytime temperatures can reach 80°F. Some people even ski in shorts! Nighttime temperatures remain below freezing although not as cold as winter. My garden thaws in early May and the aspen trees leaf out the last week in May. Our Spring is very short but, after so many months of snow, especially welcomed. Summers are wonderful in Colorado. The days are warm and clear with temperatures reaching 80°F to 95°F on the hottest days. Rainfall in the summer varies considerably from year to year. We have drought conditions some summers. Very few wild flowers sprout and the meadows turn brown early from the sun. Other years, we may have a thunder storm every afternoon. In late June and early July, we sometimes have hail storms with hail stones about an inch in diameter.
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In summers with rain, our meadows are green and filled with wild flowers and mountain grasses. The 1990 photograph shows my vegetable garden in our east meadow.
Our temperature falls to 40°F or 45°F every summer night. After a warm day, we often sit on our deck and enjoy the cool evenings. Therefore, while our summer days can be warm as lower altitudes, our nights are much cooler. |
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Fall in Colorado gives us clear, cool days. The sky is incredibly blue and the views are sharp and crisp due to the low humidity. Some years, we have our first frost in late August while in other years, the first frost comes in late September. We have had snow as early as August but usually our first snow is in October. Early fall tends to be our driest period of the year.
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| Golden aspen adorn the mountains sides as you can see in this picture. One interesting aspect of our autumn is the progression of color from the tallest mountains down through the high valleys to the lower altitudes of the plains. Autumn arrives at varying times at the different altitudes giving us a long and colorful period.
My garden freezes solid by mid November. Our first large snows usually occur in November and another winter season begins. |
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