2001 Grand Junction, Colorado (GJT)

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2001 GRAND JUNCTION, COLORADO (GJT)

Grand Junction is located at the junction of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers. It is on the west slope of the Rockies, in a large mountain valley. The area has a climate marked by the wide seasonal range usual to interior localities at this latitude. Thanks, however, to the protective topography of the vicinity, sudden and severe weather changes are very infrequent. The valley floor slopes from 4,800 feet near Palisade to 4,400 feet at the west end near Fruita. Mountains are on all sides at distances of from 10 to 60 miles and reach heights of 9,000 to over 12,000 feet.

This mountain valley location, with attendant valley breezes, provides protection from spring and fall frosts. This results in a growing season averaging 191 days in the city. This varies considerably in the outlying districts. It is about the same in the upper valley around Palisade, and 3 to 4 weeks shorter near the river west of Grand Junction. The growing season is sufficiently long to permit commercial growth of almost all fruits except citrus varieties. Summer grazing of cattle and sheep on nearby mountain ranges is extensive.

The interior, continental location, ringed by mountains on all sides, results in quite low precipitation in all seasons. Consequently, agriculture is dependent on irrigation. Adequate supplies of water are available from mountain snows and rains. Summer rains occur chiefly as scattered light showers and thunderstorms which develop over nearby mountains. Winter snows are fairly frequent, but are mostly light and quick to melt. Even the infrequent snows of from 4 to 8 inches seldom remain on the ground for prolonged periods. Blizzard conditions in the valley are extremely rare.

Temperatures above 100 degrees are infrequent, and about one–third of the winters have no readings below zero. Summer days with maximum temperatures in the middle 90s and minimums in the low 60s are common. Relative humidity is very low during the summer, with values similar to other dry locations such as the southern parts of New Mexico and Arizona. Spells of cold winter weather are sometimes prolonged due to cold air becoming trapped in the valley. Winds are usually very light during the coldest weather. Changes in winter are normally gradual, and abrupt changes are much less frequent than in eastern Colorado. Cold waves are rare. Sunny days predominate in all seasons.

The prevailing wind is from the east–southeast due to the valley breeze effect. The strongest winds are associated with thunderstorms or with pre–frontal weather. They usually are from the south or southwest.

NORMALS, MEANS, AND EXTREMES

GRAND JUNCTION, CO (GJT)

LATITUDE:    LONGITUDE:    ELEVATION (FT):    TIME ZONE:    WBAN: 23066

39 08′ 03″ N  108 32′ 15″ W  GRND: 4823  BARO: 4826  MOUNTAIN (UTC + 7)

ELEMENTPORJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECYEAR
TEMPERATURE FNORMAL DAILY MAXIMUM3035.545.455.665.876.087.793.690.581.167.751.438.765.8
MEAN DAILY MAXIMUM5436.444.854.865.075.887.393.189.881.167.850.639.165.5
HIGHEST DAILY MAXIMUM5560688189101105105103100887564105
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE197119861971199220001990197620001995196319771980JUN 1990
MEAN OF EXTREME MAXS.5449.358.570.780.589.498.4100.898.192.681.665.152.578.1
NORMAL DAILY MINIMUM3014.523.531.338.547.957.163.962.252.841.629.418.740.1
MEAN DAILY MINIMUM5416.423.330.938.748.057.063.861.852.941.128.519.040.1
LOWEST DAILY MINIMUM55-23-18511263444432918-2-17-23
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE196319891948197519701976199319681978199319761990JAN 1963
MEAN OF EXTREME MINS.541.58.017.725.534.744.455.553.240.228.215.25.227.4
NORMAL DRY BULB3025.034.543.452.262.072.478.876.467.054.740.428.753.0
MEAN DRY BULB5426.434.042.851.861.872.278.475.867.054.439.728.952.8
MEAN WET BULB1824.030.236.241.348.153.458.658.851.442.732.825.241.9
MEAN DEW POINT1818.222.724.927.933.135.643.746.137.730.324.218.830.3
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
MAXIMUM 90300.00.00.00.01.214.324.819.44.20.00.00.063.9
MAXIMUM 323011.72.30.20.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.67.222.0
MINIMUM 323030.324.717.16.60.40.00.00.00.12.920.229.5131.8
MINIMUM 0304.00.60.00.00.00.00.00.00.00.0*1.46.0
H/CNORMAL HEATING DEG. DAYS30124085467038913213005533273811255548
NORMAL COOLING DEG. DAYS3000003923542835311513001183
RHNORMAL (PERCENT)3070605040362934373946586847
HOUR 05 LST3077716355514448515258707660
HOUR 11 LST3064534233302428323438506141
HOUR 17 LST3061473627241922242633465935
HOUR 23 LST3075665645403236394251647352
SPERCENT POSSIBLE SUNSHINE5561656570738179777974636171
W/OMEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
HEAVY FOG (VISBY 1/4 MI)562.71.80.60.10.00.00.00.00.00.20.82.08.2
THUNDERSTORMS560.10.30.82.14.84.87.68.25.31.50.40.136.0
CLOUDINESSMEAN:
SUNRISE-SUNSET (OKTAS)504.95.05.04.84.43.23.33.42.93.44.24.54.1
MIDNIGHT-MIDNIGHT (OKTAS)324.64.44.64.34.03.03.23.32.73.24.04.33.8
MEAN NO. DAYS WITH:
CLEAR519.17.68.07.99.614.913.713.116.014.710.49.6134.6
PARTLY CLOUDY517.07.48.69.410.79.411.211.28.17.67.47.6105.6
CLOUDY5114.813.314.412.710.75.75.56.15.38.011.613.1121.2
PRMEAN STATION PRESSURE (IN)2925.2025.1925.1025.1025.1025.1025.2025.2025.2025.2025.2125.3025.17
MEAN SEA-LEVEL PRES. (IN)1830.2330.1029.9729.8929.8329.8129.8729.9129.9430.0330.1230.2229.99
WINDSMEAN SPEED (MPH)555.86.78.49.49.69.89.69.39.28.16.96.18.2
PREVAIL. DIR (TENS OF DEGS)
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE:
SPEED (MPH)536415349444841453844373553
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)25203427253015243021133134
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199919982001200020001999200019992000199719972000MAR 2001
MAXIMUM 5-SECOND:
SPEED (MPH)545556060545552644854454364
DIR. (TENS OF DEGS)23193419253115262922263126
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE199919982001200020001999200019992001199719992000AUG 1999
PRECIPITATIONNORMAL (IN)300.560.480.900.750.870.500.650.810.820.980.710.618.64
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)552.461.562.022.152.042.071.923.482.843.452.001.893.48
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE195719481979199719951969198319571997197219831951AUG 1957
MINIMUM MONTHLY (IN)55TT0.020.06TT0.010.040.000.010.00
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE1961197219721958197019801994195619521976OCT 1952
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)550.720.811.151.331.131.571.421.681.351.240.831.161.68
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE200019961993196519831969197419971965195719831951AUG 1997
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
PRECIPITATION 0.01306.45.27.76.66.34.25.86.16.35.65.66.472.2
PRECIPITATION 1.00300.00.00.00.00.0**0.0*0.00.00.00.0
SNOWFALLNORMAL (IN)306.63.33.71.20.20.00.00.00.10.72.55.724.0
MAXIMUM MONTHLY (IN)5533.718.414.914.35.0TTT3.16.112.119.033.7
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE195719481948197519791997200119931965197519641983JAN 1957
MAXIMUM IN 24 HOURS (IN)559.19.06.18.95.0TTT3.16.18.46.39.1
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE195719891948197519791997200119931965197519541998JAN 1957
MAXIMUM SNOW DEPTH (IN)5316128710002581116
YEAR OF OCCURRENCE195719571960197519791965197519541983JAN 1957
NORMAL NO. DAYS WITH:
SNOWFALL 1.0302.51.01.20.30.10.00.00.00.*0.20.82.18.2
PRECIPITATION (inches) 2001 GRAND JUNCTION, CO (GJT)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19720.20T0.020.110.440.640.030.290.723.450.690.747.33
19730.790.120.650.861.450.870.520.620.330.200.910.627.94
19741.200.400.811.030.010.141.530.480.380.721.180.328.20
19750.530.491.741.381.230.431.390.090.160.850.390.509.18
19760.130.810.750.401.490.140.200.310.670.320.040.015.27
19770.370.060.500.540.590.040.890.590.520.500.700.385.68
19781.080.641.191.190.550.010.250.540.490.030.621.307.89
19791.360.632.020.421.450.780.080.610.010.251.020.278.90
19800.571.101.770.531.17T0.961.390.581.310.520.2410.14
19810.440.161.350.561.490.170.410.820.252.060.470.608.78
19820.290.410.790.090.750.210.350.942.810.830.480.278.22
19830.500.641.590.901.681.541.920.731.110.362.001.8514.82
19840.280.111.571.210.551.680.621.770.342.650.380.4311.59
19850.510.260.921.781.090.391.210.241.672.321.100.7312.22
19860.130.330.250.711.150.150.940.971.521.221.020.478.86
19870.301.211.950.461.510.231.510.830.130.651.920.8311.53
19881.070.210.720.991.100.210.181.370.760.021.020.207.85
19890.981.330.510.230.390.240.271.010.330.14T0.085.51
19900.590.551.070.710.050.260.960.491.230.950.570.988.41
19910.920.130.700.870.200.300.400.572.301.201.100.549.23
19920.240.351.710.151.810.171.030.840.331.450.760.359.19
19931.361.091.721.301.990.030.041.420.411.340.410.5711.68
19940.230.560.251.810.190.040.010.481.500.580.690.646.98
19950.620.521.740.962.041.320.870.470.660.240.200.5510.19
19960.651.070.530.900.990.580.770.151.531.351.010.5310.06
19970.630.340.532.151.530.290.282.672.841.200.620.1413.22
19980.470.481.360.750.210.551.210.611.441.360.420.269.12
19990.090.280.032.060.680.600.512.221.010.170.180.268.09
20001.350.701.260.320.430.340.200.600.601.180.350.187.51
20010.430.670.980.580.57T1.201.460.150.991.060.318.40
POR=109 YRS0.610.590.840.780.790.440.621.030.840.900.610.508.55
AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (F) 2001 GRAND JUNCTION, CO (GJT)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
197230.036.646.653.363.174.380.277.168.154.037.122.753.6
197311.529.142.148.161.570.578.177.465.756.441.230.151.0
197416.919.948.251.065.074.978.375.666.456.239.627.151.6
197520.033.041.046.457.167.578.375.467.153.536.227.450.2
197621.738.238.751.961.870.479.675.366.951.239.127.651.9
197723.937.140.856.963.779.180.278.370.258.240.333.355.2
197829.434.446.752.358.873.078.474.565.754.740.216.052.0
197916.623.541.152.560.371.078.774.672.058.933.226.950.8
198032.639.240.951.459.174.078.675.367.953.842.340.154.6
198136.837.944.056.860.976.479.476.869.250.741.631.355.2
198226.034.746.051.361.472.279.078.267.551.941.233.053.5
198334.340.945.948.758.769.878.380.471.458.242.130.554.9
198420.731.744.449.066.270.178.076.668.350.240.832.652.4
198531.132.043.954.563.673.077.677.162.452.838.831.953.2
198634.240.449.052.560.674.376.075.663.251.540.832.454.2
198727.436.840.154.561.273.575.272.966.256.839.627.952.7
198817.429.241.053.160.976.580.676.264.558.940.730.052.4
198920.227.747.557.063.871.080.574.468.354.940.629.252.9
199028.535.446.855.761.375.278.076.669.753.239.520.653.4
199117.632.042.048.862.072.577.676.266.555.037.726.251.2
199219.937.647.259.064.571.275.175.167.757.835.924.553.0
199331.936.245.650.061.970.176.773.265.951.735.629.252.3
199431.734.247.453.265.377.881.379.468.352.937.133.155.1
199533.743.446.250.656.967.876.179.068.553.343.635.354.5
199630.140.244.951.064.273.379.277.663.051.339.930.753.8
199730.634.245.046.562.272.776.274.066.451.738.228.252.2
199833.535.841.848.862.167.879.176.870.053.340.825.653.0
199932.937.448.547.858.770.677.673.663.554.243.030.353.2
200032.839.543.456.465.873.180.178.467.254.432.830.854.6
200128.036.245.353.864.374.178.975.769.755.043.728.354.4
POR=109 YRS26.233.743.152.261.872.078.275.666.954.239.728.652.7

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 GRAND JUNCTION, CO (GJT)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972-73003133583213031651999705499139496543
1973-74007226670810751487126051341566325894
1974-75006026675611671387888736551249516111
1975-76003535885811611335775807386122255862
1976-770041421769115312677757432509405513
1977-780117214736975109885256137321095046
1978-790695313737151014931154732377192376646
1979-80030209945117599974174040519545416
1980-810221359674765864754645247153154499
1981-8200124396961039120384158140513665358
1982-832061397704983946668586482238225089
1983-8400272086781064136695963147489445540
1984-850054452719996104491964631081125233
1985-8600139371779101894968548936616834967
1986-87001304147181001115978576531414305429
1987-88063424875411471469103174135017285960
1988-890010618372410781379103853425811385421
1989-90004031672911031124820557271139205119
1990-91002836075913711464919706478136186239
1991-920237304815119313907885401955385325
1992-93062522286812451018799597446144335403
1993-944059410875110210258535403606405292
1994-950024368832984962596578425256475072
1995-96807335763491410737126144158824890
1996-97001354217481055105685761354712245558
1997-9800424127991138970813709478137555553
1998-990093557151217987767501508219335311
1999-000088331651106799273266325610014881
2000-01005833995910531140802605333105315425
2001-00233166331130
COOLING DEGREE DAYS (base 65 F) 2001 GRAND JUNCTION, CO (GJT)
YEARJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECANNUAL
19720000862884793811303001367
19730000352224103931016001167
19740001733354203351090001273
1975000091334193281069001004
19760000321954603241030001114
1977000166042947742018010001592
19780000252584203081231001135
197900065222542831021527001263
198000011628042732511519001183
19810009313674563751430001381
19820000332294434151440001264
19830000491714214832263001353
198400001342004083681590001269
1985000445261396382670001155
1986000039289348334820001092
198700053026232425676200955
1988000051360489357984001359
1989000268519548930014511001251
19900001343314123681743001323
1991000050247398356880001139
199200021432033193281147001035
199300005619337126092600978
199400013823885144541260001577
1995000091383624441853001141
1996000167256448396824001254
1997000044240353285938001023
19980000511484453751630001182
199900002720440127445400955
2000000513124947642112915001426
200100038931143734117013001364
SNOWFALL (inches) 2001 GRAND JUNCTION, CO (GJT)
YEARJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDECJANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNTOTAL
1972-730.00.00.05.71.39.712.81.21.32.0T0.034.0
1973-740.00.00.00.07.75.717.05.5T1.20.00.037.1
1974-750.00.00.0T0.14.67.94.48.814.31.30.041.4
1975-760.00.00.06.13.97.21.74.06.80.20.00.029.9
1976-770.00.00.00.0T0.14.2T2.31.70.00.08.3
1977-780.00.00.0T3.32.512.02.50.6TT0.020.9
1978-790.00.00.00.02.911.818.79.63.41.15.00.052.5
1979-800.00.00.00.08.23.52.20.57.30.20.00.021.9
1980-810.00.00.00.0T0.03.90.81.2T0.00.05.9
1981-820.00.00.00.53.33.43.44.00.8T0.00.015.4
1982-830.00.00.0TT1.96.13.11.52.2T0.014.8
1983-840.00.00.00.04.219.03.70.66.12.90.00.036.5
1984-850.00.00.00.72.02.75.02.75.60.10.00.018.8
1985-860.00.00.00.04.64.41.80.7T0.2T0.011.7
1986-870.00.00.02.21.21.03.05.59.40.6T0.022.9
1987-880.00.00.00.01.17.112.22.24.30.00.00.026.9
1988-890.00.00.00.00.93.110.216.01.1TT0.031.3
1989-900.00.00.00.00.01.16.28.61.80.80.00.018.5
1990-910.00.00.00.01.55.112.70.33.74.70.00.028.0
1991-920.00.0T2.51.97.62.71.9T0.0T0.016.6
1992-930.00.00.00.02.04.46.08.40.00.4T0.021.2
1993-940.0T0.00.00.65.91.14.60.3T0.00.012.5
1994-950.00.00.0T5.42.24.01.13.7TT0.016.4
1995-960.00.0T1.2T3.72.10.53.0T0.00.010.5
1996-970.00.00.01.14.23.54.93.21.26.5TT24.6
1997-980.0T0.00.5T1.73.80.53.80.10.0T10.4
1998-990.00.0T0.02.57.00.51.40.03.8T0.015.2
1999-000.0T0.00.0T3.33.10.66.20.00.00.013.2
2000-010.00.00.00.03.61.54.33.33.70.00.00.016.4
2001-T0.0T0.02.83.3
POR=54 YRS0.0T0.10.52.55.06.63.83.61.20.20.023.5

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