2001 Colorado Springs, Colorado (COS)

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2001 COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO (COS)

At an elevation near 6,200 feet above sea level, Colorado Springs is located in relatively flat semi–arid country on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. Immediately to the west the mountains rise abruptly to heights ranging from 10,000 to 14,000 feet but generally averaging near 11,000 feet. To the east lie gently undulating prairie lands. The land slopes upward to the north, reaching an average height of about 8,000 feet in 20 miles at the top of Palmer Lake Divide.

Colorado Springs is in the Arkansas River drainage basin. The principal tributary feeding the Arkansas from this area is Fountain Creek which rises in the high mountains west of the city and is fed by Monument Creek originating to the north in the Palmer Lake Divide area.

Other topographical features of the area, and particularly its wide range of elevations, help to give Colorado Springs the various and altogether delightful plains and mountain mixture of climate that has established the locality as a highly desirable place to live. The higher elevations immediately to the west and north of the city produce significant differences in temperature and precipitation. Precipitation amounts at these higher elevations are approximately twice those at nearby lower elevations and the number of rainy days is almost triple.

In Colorado Springs itself, precipitation is relatively sparse. Over 80 percent of it falls between April 1 and September 30, mostly as heavy downpours accompanying summer thunderstorms. Temperatures, in view of the station latitude and elevation, are mild. Uncomfortable extremes, in either summer or winter, are comparatively rare and of short duration. Relative humidity is normally low and wind movement moderately high. This is notably true of the west–to–east movement of the chinook winds, that cause rapid rises in winter temperatures and remind us that the Indian meaning of CHINOOK is SNOW EATER.

Colorado Springs is best known as a resort city, but is also important to the high–tech industry and military community. Several military installations, including the United States Air Force Academy and the Space Command are located within or near the city. The surrounding prairie is also important for cattle raising and a considerable amount of grazing land is used for sheep in the summer months. The growing season varies considerably in length but averages from the first week in May to the first week of October.

NORMALS, MEANS, AND EXTREMES

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (COS)

LATITUDE:    LONGITUDE:    ELEVATION (FT):    TIME ZONE:    WBAN: 93037

38 48′ 43″ N  104 42′ 40″ W  GRND: 6180 BARO: 6183  MOUNTAIN (UTC + 7)

ELEMENTPORJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECYEAR
TEMPERATURE FNORMAL DAILY MAXIMUM3041.444.650.059.868.779.084.481.373.663.550.742.261.6
MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM5242.245.350.159.368.779.184.782.174.664.150.743.662.0
HIGHEST DAILY MAXIMUM5273768187941001009994867877100
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199719631971199220001954195419541995197919811955JUL 1954
MEAN OF EXTREME MAXS.2463.365.270.178.884.392.595.392.188.280.170.764.178.7
NORMAL DAILY MINIMUM3016.119.324.633.042.151.157.155.247.136.324.917.435.4
MEAN DAILY MINIMUM5216.319.624.332.742.351.256.855.347.336.424.717.835.4
LOWEST DAILY MINIMUM52-26-27-11-321324239225-8-24-27
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE195119511956195919541951195219921985196919761990FEB 1951
MEAN OF EXTREME MINS.24-1.7-.27.918.430.440.950.348.733.020.48.0-1.421.2
NORMAL DRY BULB3028.832.037.346.455.465.070.868.360.449.937.829.848.5
MEAN DRY BULB5329.532.537.346.055.765.370.868.860.950.337.730.848.8
MEAN WET BULB5622.925.629.536.244.552.156.956.048.939.129.523.938.8
MEAN DEW POINT5610.913.517.523.734.141.748.448.438.927.018.212.327.9
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
MAXIMUM 90300.00.00.00.00.24.310.83.30.80.00.00.019.4
MAXIMUM 32308.36.62.70.70.00.00.00.00.10.33.37.829.8
MINIMUM 323030.326.225.112.82.10.00.00.01.19.124.429.3160.4
MINIMUM 0302.62.30.30.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.02.37.5
H/CNORMAL HEATING DEG. DAYS3011229248595583028761816446881610916415
NORMAL COOLING DEG. DAYS30000008718612026000419
RHNORMAL (PERCENT)3051505046494850545146505150
HOUR 05 LST3056596161666668706658595662
HOUR 11 LST3041404035373636403935394238
HOUR 17 LST3046413834363439413736444840
HOUR 23 LST3057585855595760646056585758
SPERCENT POSSIBLE SUNSHINE
W/OMEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
HEAVY FOG (VISBY 1/4 MI)522.42.92.92.31.90.80.61.02.01.92.72.223.6
THUNDERSTORMS520.00.00.52.48.511.115.913.74.80.80.00.057.7
CLOUDINESSMEAN:
SUNRISE-SUNSET (OKTAS)13.23.75.66.04.83.63.65.63.24.03.22.44.1
MIDNIGHT-MIDNIGHT (OKTAS)14.03.66.46.04.83.23.65.63.24.42.82.44.2
MEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
CLEAR25.38.38.05.01.03.07.06.011.010.56.011.082.1
PARTLY CLOUDY22.05.05.75.55.04.04.08.54.01.02.04.551.2
CLOUDY21.76.77.08.02.02.01.57.56.05.01.51.049.9
PRMEAN STATION PRESSURE (IN)2823.8923.8823.8223.8823.9023.9824.0624.0724.0424.0023.9223.9123.95
MEAN SEA-LEVEL PRES. (IN)5530.0930.0629.9629.9229.8929.8829.9529.9729.9930.0430.0830.0929.99
WINDSMEAN SPEED (MPH)359.510.011.011.511.210.59.38.89.49.69.69.510.0
PREVAIL. DIR (TENS OF DEGS)2036363636361636363636363636
MAXIMUM 2–MINUTE:
SPEED (MPH)849614561514749454459475361
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)27283028362722343027302928
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199619992000199620011998200020002001200119981993FEB 1999
MAXIMUM 5-SECOND:
SPEED (MPH)855785368626260555570576378
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)26283130272823253330262828
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199619992000199620012001200019951996199619952000FEB 1999
PRECIPITATIONNORMAL (IN)300.290.400.941.192.152.252.903.021.330.840.470.4616.24
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)521.172.452.427.505.678.005.277.044.285.012.211.058.00
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198719871998199919571965196819991976198419571988JUN 1965
MINIMUM MONTHLY (IN)52TT0.010.010.330.130.670.15T0.01TTT
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199519911966196419741990198719621953198019951995DEC 1995
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)520.791.491.633.302.573.093.664.111.731.601.450.694.11
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198719871998199919551954199719991959196019791981AUG 1999
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
PRECIPITATION 0.01306.25.88.37.712.59.711.014.06.85.24.36.497.9
PRECIPITATION 1.00300.00.10.10.20.40.20.40.50.20.10.00.02.2
SNOWFALLNORMAL (IN)306.77.112.14.52.50.00.00.00.22.85.310.251.4
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)5328.723.223.242.719.41.1TT27.925.926.318.242.7
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198719871984195719781975199219921959198419911983APR 1957
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)5322.014.815.018.017.41.1TT17.119.914.59.622.0
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198719871998195719781975199219921959199719721979JAN 1987
MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH (IN)251612151211000220111020
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE198719871998199719781985199719791979OCT 1997
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
SNOWFALL 1.0301.91.93.11.30.40.00.00.00.10.61.53.013.8
PRECIPITATION (inches) 2001 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (COS)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19720.270.250.550.421.462.074.083.554.131.341.080.8320.03
19730.060.061.161.724.270.473.310.891.030.350.150.6414.11
19740.260.180.521.920.331.291.421.140.431.360.230.429.50
19750.130.290.240.681.002.972.652.060.160.521.000.0711.77
19760.320.230.631.632.092.461.755.944.280.490.400.1220.34
19770.290.201.182.571.123.873.025.110.450.190.600.1818.78
19780.250.380.401.153.580.542.142.510.050.900.371.0113.28
19790.530.042.381.833.131.582.732.500.920.551.821.0219.03
19800.250.541.303.644.991.601.694.590.650.010.350.0519.66
19810.070.120.930.133.141.983.645.240.520.370.030.8216.99
19820.250.270.730.763.073.813.645.373.020.220.100.7021.94
19830.430.091.790.973.082.410.992.590.370.281.090.7014.79
19840.320.091.931.660.741.543.974.030.935.010.140.6421.00
19850.420.241.682.073.360.784.921.561.490.520.420.5518.01
19860.010.300.310.651.892.471.636.060.611.410.640.2816.26
19871.172.451.790.503.822.890.672.770.550.540.440.6418.23
19880.430.680.900.271.011.692.072.881.190.080.361.0512.61
19890.231.230.491.061.113.422.262.632.300.280.020.4115.44
19900.530.591.772.043.900.135.131.451.501.460.300.2719.07
19910.09T0.421.760.803.072.874.570.560.882.050.4517.52
19920.060.022.360.922.073.910.763.370.130.300.750.1114.76
19930.520.210.791.021.601.272.382.171.440.910.970.1113.39
19940.180.280.541.494.104.321.293.921.522.670.320.1320.76
1995T0.210.713.054.817.781.911.771.870.02TT22.13
19960.160.340.820.392.221.584.463.462.040.890.170.0416.57
19970.110.180.343.301.165.444.634.701.780.980.220.1022.94
19980.030.342.421.380.721.275.262.750.510.930.440.1516.20
19990.120.050.417.503.571.364.707.040.521.101.010.2027.58
20000.680.231.970.621.271.732.725.820.550.860.190.2516.89
20010.820.261.380.983.212.143.251.471.010.020.370.0915.00
POR=53 YRS0.300.330.921.392.302.262.952.971.250.820.480.3416.31
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (F) 2001 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (COS)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
197230.036.143.349.155.967.868.967.760.849.429.823.548.5
197325.432.336.540.953.365.668.470.658.852.639.631.247.9
197427.033.942.146.059.766.272.667.958.052.638.528.049.4
197529.129.835.644.453.463.871.070.259.452.336.435.348.4
197630.137.836.147.754.764.372.168.159.345.736.232.948.8
197726.835.037.148.358.668.071.468.664.051.538.634.650.2
197825.127.740.948.852.566.272.867.562.851.936.521.947.9
197916.932.538.148.354.064.370.667.564.451.731.233.547.8
198026.734.335.744.353.469.275.370.462.349.939.539.850.1
198134.934.439.353.854.569.471.967.363.450.843.332.751.3
198229.429.038.145.752.760.170.268.559.047.635.429.847.1
198332.534.435.740.150.561.172.371.963.851.337.718.447.5
198426.133.335.341.458.265.171.568.459.542.838.433.147.8
198525.126.337.948.757.265.070.369.858.049.032.127.947.3
198638.234.744.348.554.665.870.467.659.148.037.729.849.9
198729.433.035.348.556.065.170.766.160.050.439.229.048.6
198824.331.836.248.256.468.770.670.460.853.039.229.249.1
198932.821.843.749.057.662.171.868.461.049.741.527.348.9
199033.631.738.947.153.869.568.068.064.549.542.724.349.3
199128.038.039.945.858.067.069.468.160.550.333.031.049.1
199232.637.641.652.157.862.568.466.662.952.431.929.349.6
199326.729.439.846.155.665.070.767.358.148.032.332.347.6
199431.531.640.645.557.769.169.870.262.749.137.433.649.9
199531.435.838.741.349.460.667.471.959.048.941.432.148.2
199627.234.035.547.259.665.769.867.657.449.038.133.048.7
199727.130.240.739.553.864.370.567.162.248.533.530.547.3
199832.131.635.443.058.963.871.067.665.450.041.728.349.1
199933.738.142.142.253.462.971.168.757.750.844.933.649.9
200032.138.039.048.859.464.271.971.462.049.730.328.049.6
200127.130.337.449.455.166.573.569.863.150.941.031.649.6
POR=53 YRS29.432.537.446.155.765.370.868.960.850.337.830.948.8

REFERENCE NOTES:

PAGE 1:

THE TEMPERATURE GRAPH SHOWS NORMAL MAXIMUM AND NORMAL MINIMUM DAILY TEMPERATURES (SOLID CURVES) AND THE ACTUAL DAILY HIGH AND LOW TEMPERATURES (VERTICAL BARS).

PAGE 2 AND 3:

H/C INDICATES HEATING AND COOLING DEGREE DAYS.

RH INDICATES RELATIVE HUMIDITY

W/O INDICATES WEATHER AND OBSTRUCTIONS

S INDICATES SUNSHINE.

PR INDICATES PRESSURE.

CLOUDINESS ON PAGE 3 IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA NOT TO EXCEED EIGHT EIGHTHS (OKTAS).

GENERAL:

T INDICATES TRACE PRECIPITATION, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN ZERO BUT LESS THAN THE LOWEST REPORTABLE VALUE.

+ INDICATES THE VALUE ALSO OCCURS ON EARLIER DATES.

BLANK ENTRIES DENOTE MISSING OR UNREPORTED DATA.

NORMALS ARE 30–YEAR AVERAGES (1961–1990).

ASOS INDICATES AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM.

PM INDICATES THE LAST DAY OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH.

POR (PERIOD OF RECORD) BEGINS WITH THE JANUARY DATA MONTH AND IS THE NUMBER OF YEARS USED TO COMPUTE THE MEAN. INDIVIDUAL MONTHS WITHIN THE POR MAY BE MISSING.

WHEN THE POR FOR A NORMAL IS LESS THAN 30 YEARS, THE NORMAL IS PROVISIONAL AND IS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF YEARS INDICATED.

0.* OR * INDICATES THE VALUE OR MEAN–DAYS–WITH IS BETWEEN 0.00 AND 0.05.

CLOUDINESS FOR ASOS STATIONS DIFFERS FROM THE NON–ASOS OBSERVATION TAKEN BY A HUMAN OBSERVER. ASOS STATION CLOUDINESS IS BASED ON TIME–AVERAGED CEILOMETER DATA FOR CLOUDS AT OR BELOW 12,000 FEET AND ON SATELLITE DATA FOR CLOUDS ABOVE 12,000 FEET.

THE NUMBER OF DAYS WITH CLEAR, PARTLY CLOUDY, AND CLOUDY CONDITIONS FOR ASOS STATIONS IS THE SUM OF THE CEILOMETER AND SATELLITE DATA FOR THE SUNRISE TO SUNSET PERIOD.

GENERAL CONTINUED:

CLEAR INDICATES 0–2 OKTAS, PARTLY CLOUDY INDICATES 3–6 OKTAS, AND CLOUDY INDICATES 7 OR 8 OKTAS. WHEN AT LEAST ONE OF THE ELEMENTS (CEILOMETER OR SATELLITE) IS MISSING, THE DAILY CLOUDINESS IS NOT COMPUTED.

WIND DIRECTION IS RECORDED IN TENS OF DEGREES (2 DIGITS) CLOCKWISE FROM TRUE NORTH. "00" INDICATES CALM. "36" INDICATES TRUE NORTH.

RESULTANT WIND IS THE VECTOR AVERAGE OF THE SPEED AND DIRECTION.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS THE SUM OF THE MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE DIVIDED BY 2.

SNOWFALL DATA COMPRISE ALL FORMS OF FROZEN PRECIPITATION, INCLUDING HAIL.

A HEATING (COOLING) DEGREE DAY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE AND 65 F.

DRY BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE OF THE AMBIENT AIR.

DEW POINT IS THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE AIR MUST BE COOLED TO ACHIEVE 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

WET BULB IS THE TEMPERATURE THE AIR WOULD HAVE IF THE MOISTURE CONTENT WAS INCREASED TO 100 PERCENT RELATIVE HUMIDITY.

ON JULY 1, 1996, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BEGAN USING THE "METAR" OBSERVATION CODE THAT WAS ALREADY EMPLOYED BY MOST OTHER NATIONS OF THE WORLD. THE MOST NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN THIS ANNUAL PUBLICATION WILL BE THE CHANGE IN UNITS FROM TENTHS TO EIGHTS (OKTAS) FOR REPORTING THE AMOUNT OF SKY COVER.

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (COS)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972–734134136476104912811221912877715359767177
1973–7432119437875410411172866700566176885968
1974–7511722937678911431102980904608350886587
1975–760102003918529161075782891512314806023
1976–77011191593859988118183785849419256209
1977–782227341378493812311036741479386986203
1978–7934411940084813291484906825494336976885
1979–806418840710059691180883901615351326478
1980–8107113463759776928850789335321385379
1981–8253070433643993109510018275713741636205
1982–83811198532880108410018519047424441596814
1983–842010141781114381198911912700220586768
1984–850620068479098212331077830481242776602
1985–86582534879781142822840635487315496021
1986–8741417451981310811096888912491272506314
1987–88177415044576711081256958886499273256458
1988–8978154366767109998912076554752471346108
1989–90041724736991164966928805526345246106
1990–9128218347366312581142750773568219336011
1991–9216161454539541048998788717383219965833
1992–9321539138399011011179991776558286846513
1993–9404021251997210081032926749576223146271
1994–9510149848682196910358118087024771526383
1995–9638323149070010111162890908527192486200
1996–972172374908009861167967747758341706582
1997–98628111506937106010129289116532081166476
1998–99364345869111299657487026743571015877
1999–00052394346009681010773798478206835594
2000–0102150473103311371169964850462305546599
2001–06974317141029
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (COS)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
1972000209616812417000407
19730000010414518013000442
197400001813024110926000524
1975000005919518041500480
1976000006622711428000435
19770000010320414249000498
19780000414325512759100589
1979000018418512477200473
19800000016932718041000717
19810004217622610527000540
1982000002317612726000352
1983000014823621971000575
19840000176820711942000453
1985000058317916351000481
198600001821801023000368
198700000621991136000380
198800001214319018133000559
19890003255422011757300479
19900000616812812173000496
19910000810116112015400409
1992000432813110632000304
1993000028918311711100403
19940000514316518233000528
1995000003012022660000436
19960004317715910616100394
1997000005518210133000371
1998000023881949561000461
1999000004219613026000394
20000000396522020867500604
20010000510627216445000592
SNOWFALL (inches) 2001 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (COS)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972–730.00.00.014.416.411.43.92.315.611.20.80.076.0
1973–740.00.00.03.91.89.12.42.46.810.00.0T36.4
1974–750.00.0TT1.56.32.84.83.56.90.21.127.1
1975–760.00.00.04.39.80.96.95.28.610.10.00.045.8
1976–770.00.0T2.54.92.64.82.513.84.30.00.035.4
1977–780.00.00.00.91.93.04.28.63.31.119.40.042.4
1978–790.00.0T0.54.015.29.91.220.014.64.10.069.5
1979–800.00.00.01.319.117.64.75.912.711.30.00.072.6
1980–810.00.00.00.24.41.41.01.79.00.30.20.018.2
1981–820.00.00.00.40.59.13.66.28.42.33.90.034.4
1982–830.00.00.00.20.98.24.01.116.34.80.80.036.3
1983–840.00.00.00.010.318.27.81.423.29.00.80.070.7
1984–850.00.00.925.92.010.98.04.722.30.8T0.075.5
1985–860.00.01.91.78.36.30.24.62.94.0T0.029.9
1986–870.00.00.01.47.34.428.723.214.93.3T0.083.2
1987–880.00.00.00.04.89.54.911.512.61.00.30.044.6
1988–890.00.00.00.01.613.63.018.9T1.00.0T38.1
1989–90TTT2.10.27.58.79.39.711.34.20.053.0
1990–910.00.00.08.22.74.10.9T5.25.91.50.028.5
1991–920.00.00.07.526.34.51.20.23.0T0.0T42.7
1992–93TT0.0T11.42.67.53.32.31.2TT28.3
1993–94T0.00.10.512.30.52.21.56.88.7TT32.6
1994–950.00.0T0.26.13.94.56.57.70.00.0T28.9
1995–960.00.00.50.2TT2.94.76.93.2
1996–978.79.33.42.412.3T0.0
1997–980.0T0.019.93.51.80.34.317.59.5TT56.8
1998–99TT0.01.11.77.32.90.32.717.60.3T33.9
1999–000.00.00.23.010.62.37.42.012.62.0T0.040.1
2000–01T0.01.51.52.93.714.65.912.08.16.5T56.7
2001–0.0T2.40.03.71.2
POR=54 YRSTT1.03.35.45.05.24.89.46.71.5T42.3

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