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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />IV. LIMIT~;G EFFECT OF COLDER TE:'li'ERATURES <br /> <br />The ridge of higher elevation along the Gore Range for each of the <br /> <br />tributaries to Gore Creek has some terrain above 12,000 feet. Any <br /> <br />precipitation process will involve clouds having bases still 2000 to <br /> <br />3000 feet above the 12,000 foot level. Such clouds are at temperatures <br /> <br />which are almost entirely below freezing. In fact, the total cloud <br /> <br />mass is colder than freezing throughout most months of the year. A set <br /> <br />of monthly average temperatures taken primarily from radiosonde data <br /> <br />collected in ~~e air masses which move from west to east past Grand <br /> <br />Junction, Colorado, is shown in Table I. <br /> <br />At 10,000 feet the monthly temperatures shown would t~ve some fluctuation <br /> <br />between night and day due to surface heating of the mountain slopes, <br /> <br />forcing the mixing of warmer air during daylight hours. At 14,000 feet <br /> <br />there is a much smaller daily change between night and day. The average <br /> <br />temperature values in OF. shown for that elevation can be considered <br /> <br />typical for the in-flow air which feeds the cloud masses which form <br /> <br />above the Gore Range either night or day. <br /> <br />Detailed temperature measurements are not available in the Gore Range <br /> <br />area. However, detailed t.emperature data from two stations "..hich are <br /> <br />very near the same el~vation and near the tops of mountai~ns are available. <br /> <br />1~ese two stations are BerVloud Pass at 11,314 feet and Climax (2 miles NW) <br /> <br />which is 11,300 feet above sea level. In Table I the average temperatures <br /> <br />for these two stations combined are shown for July, August and September. <br /> <br />-9- <br />