Silverthorne, Frisco, Leadville, Buena Vista...help, please!

[delta07]

Originally Posted by Crazymomof3

How different is the climate between Leadville and Buena Vista? That's a factor, too. Thanks!

The climate, especially in the winter, is a pretty big difference. When I lived in Fairplay (at the same elevation as Leadville, ~10,000 ft), we would escape to BV quite a bit in the winter. The wind at 10,000 feet is brutal! BV is in the Arkansas Valley, and didn't get the wind like Fairplay and Leadville do. Just looking at the weather there today, it's currently 30° in Leadville and 44° in BV. I would say that's pretty typical, usually about 15° warmer in BV.

[Lugnuts]

Originally Posted by Crazymomof3

How different is the climate between Leadville and Buena Vista? That's a factor, too. Thanks!

It is night and day. I'm working outside now in jeans and a long sleeve tee shirt. Even though the thermometer shows 45F, You can usually add about 10 deg F to what's showing on the mercury for the percieved temperature that you feel due to the intensity of the high altitude sun. IF the wind is not blowing, that is!!! There can be a very big difference in micro-climates here. "Up on the mesa", as the locals say, outside of town in the open fields it can and often does get unbearably windy. I'm only 2 miles out of town and there have been times when we get 45mph winds/60mph gusts and when I go into town, it's barely breezy. It is possible to get snow every month of the year in Leadville and it is much colder. For me, it's not so much that I found Leadville winters bad-midwestern winters are much worse-but they seem to go on forever. Snow in June when you are wanting to plant flowers. You blink and summer is gone.

[brightdoglover]

Maybe the family could live somewhere more suitable (lower altitude, better schools) and the father/worker could spend the work week up in Leadville- rent a room or something? Maybe work a four-day week?