What's good about a Colorado winter? (Denver: live in, commuting, distance)

[alexisnicolem]

Originally Posted by Minier

Yep, another weather question

Seems to me that it's colder / snowier in Colorado than in New York, or at least equivalent. However, New Yorkers ***** about the weather all the time (I'm one of them) and the winters keep us cooped up indoors (except in NYC where people get out more regardless of weather). But people from Colorado admit that it can snow a lot and be cold but that it's "worth it" and that they are still outdoorsy and active.

What's the difference between the winters / snow in each place that makes Colorado winters just fine with (mostly) everyone who's there and makes New Yorkers want to run off to warmer weather?

(*Disclaimer: I've made some generalizations and I know not everyone fits these mindsets, but it's the overall, general impression I've gotten)

I moved here from Philadelphia 8 years ago (Denver)...and everyone was like oooohhhh it's cold and snowy out there. You don't like to be cold, how will you handle it? Well, honestly that first year I didn't even need a winter coat. It can get COLD occasionally, but as another poster said, 50 in Denver is quite lovely. It's not usually till it gets down in the teens that it starts to be really cold. But that doesn't last. Winter in the mountains, now that's different. But in the city, it's lovely, dry and usually warm enough to be out in just a light jacket.

Colorado weather, Denver weather specifically, is beautiful. 300 days of sunshine a year! So if you like the rain, you best not move here.

[COflower]

Originally Posted by alexisnicolem

I moved here from Philadelphia 8 years ago (Denver)...and everyone was like oooohhhh it's cold and snowy out there. You don't like to be cold, how will you handle it? Well, honestly that first year I didn't even need a winter coat. It can get COLD occasionally, but as another poster said, 50 in Denver is quite lovely. It's not usually till it gets down in the teens that it starts to be really cold. But that doesn't last. Winter in the mountains, now that's different. But in the city, it's lovely, dry and usually warm enough to be out in just a light jacket.

Colorado weather, Denver weather specifically, is beautiful. 300 days of sunshine a year! So if you like the rain, you best not move here.

Actually, it's 250 days a year...I am nit-picky about that.

Regardless, you've been here during a drought for the most part so don't let people think it's all peaches and cream here. But yes, even at 32° people, die hard Coloradoans, will wear shorts most anytime of year but when the winds are blasting.

I have to remind people, as a lifetime resident of Colorado, that yes, you will find people wearing shorts in January but a Canadian front comes in and you are freezing your buns off. It's not too common since the official drought started in 2000 but I can tell you that, what you hear is good but not so good at the same time.

Regardless, if people like the snow and it's gone in a couple of days, the Front Range is for you but prepare for a blizzard here and there.

I love it here and wouldn't want to live anywhere else but weather and Colorado are like a salsa dance, hot, spicy but oh my, one slip and it's back breaking. < wink >

[Charles]

Originally Posted by alexisnicolem

.. Well, honestly that first year I didn't even need a winter coat. It can get COLD occasionally, but as another poster said, 50 in Denver is quite lovely. It's not usually till it gets down in the teens that it starts to be really cold. But that doesn't last. Winter in the mountains, now that's different. But in the city, it's lovely, dry and usually warm enough to be out in just a light jacket.

Colorado weather, Denver weather specifically, is beautiful. 300 days of sunshine a year! So if you like the rain, you best not move here.

I love posts like this. Why? Because they are true.

I moved here from Southern California, no way is the weather here bad. Sure you get a blizzard now and then...stay home, stoke the fire, open a bottle of $10 Merlot and enjoy it. What the Funk? I was cycling in February in shorts. (I was also blowing snow in May just to be honest....)

Almost always sunny, always cheerful, always worth waking up and taking a bite out of life.

[jazzlover]

Once again, I will suggest people go to Weatherbase and read up on the climate summaries for locales they are interested in, just about anywhere in the country. Good books on western weather are "Weather Extremes in the West" by Tye Parzybok, and "Skywatch: Western Weather" by Richard Keen. Then, people can discuss weather and climate in Colorado with some insight.

As to how people acclimate, it just depends on the person and on the location. When I lived in Gunnison, where temperatures often drop to -30 or -40 in the winter, the co-eds at Western State College used to go sunbathing in bikinis on the south side of the dorm (outside) when the temperature finally got up to freezing in the spring!

As I have said several times before, the biggest downer of Colorado weather and climate is the fact that, in many areas of the state, things are brown and bare from 7-9 months out of the year. Colorado is an arid state, and much of the state (contrary to popular belief) does not get that much snow in the winter.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

The Colorado forum needs a winter sticky.

THAT would definitely be a good idea. I guess you know you're an old timer on this forum when you look at the thread title and say "oh, not *that* again!" I know it's important to people moving here, but it seems like every other day someone starts a new thread about Colorado winter, and/or Colorado weather in general.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Once again, I will suggest people go to Weatherbase and read up on the climate summaries for locales they are interested in, just about anywhere in the country.

I checked it out. Here (ugly tabular data, sorry) are the numbers for Monument, high on the Palmer Divide. (Is there a good easy way to post tabular data?) Forty two degrees in January, with sun and no wind (yes, an assumption) is a long sleeve T-shirt and and sweatpants day. I lived through last winter and I'll admit it wasn't a day at the beach. I won't lie. I didn't dig on the 5AM drive down Highway 83 out to Schriever on icy roads. Happened about five to 10 times. But meteorologically it was a little out of norm. We got a ton of snow very early in the season - most snow normally falls in March & April, melting much faster.

Still, I'll take it.

I will admit, I'm am a Southern California wimp too.

Average High Temperature Years on Record: 17
YEAR Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.
°F 61.8 42 45.3 47.5 57.3 67.3 77.6 83.6 82.3 75.7 65.7 51.4 46.3

[KelsieB]

Originally Posted by Minier

Yep, another weather question

Seems to me that it's colder / snowier in Colorado than in New York, or at least equivalent. However, New Yorkers ***** about the weather all the time (I'm one of them) and the winters keep us cooped up indoors (except in NYC where people get out more regardless of weather). But people from Colorado admit that it can snow a lot and be cold but that it's "worth it" and that they are still outdoorsy and active.

What's the difference between the winters / snow in each place that makes Colorado winters just fine with (mostly) everyone who's there and makes New Yorkers want to run off to warmer weather?

(*Disclaimer: I've made some generalizations and I know not everyone fits these mindsets, but it's the overall, general impression I've gotten)

whats so different? the blizzards! ha ha the whole state (or a least denver area to a little over the foot hills) gets like 4 feet of snow and EVERYTHING is shut down! I live in the mountains and when this happens we break out the atv and tie a sled to the back of it! extreme sledding we call it! haha

[tfox]

It strikes me that if we want to stop population growth, playing up winter is probably our best strategy. "Oh... yes... did you see our holiday blizzards last year? Yeah.. we got four feet of snow in Denver and we didn't see the ground for months. Better stay away from Colorado!" Guaranteed to scare the newcomers away!

Of course, I and most of the regular posters here do quite the opposite and we try to convince people to move here. Imagine!

[KelsieB]

haha, if they like the snow and adventure they'll be sure to come. lots of skiing/snowboarding/sledding! plus summers amazing too hiking/biking rock climbing!

[breaksraver13]

Originally Posted by tfox

It strikes me that if we want to stop population growth, playing up winter is probably our best strategy. "Oh... yes... did you see our holiday blizzards last year? Yeah.. we got four feet of snow in Denver and we didn't see the ground for months. Better stay away from Colorado!" Guaranteed to scare the newcomers away!

Of course, I and most of the regular posters here do quite the opposite and we try to convince people to move here. Imagine!

Won't work for me.....HAHA!!!!......I wouldn't care if I ever saw grass again!!!