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<br />29 <br /> <br />From the 1941-1970 to the 1951-1980 avera9in9 period, average <br />annual precipitation dropped at almost all weather stations. Again, the <br />change was most dramatic and consistent on the Eastern Plains where the <br />1970s brought a number of dry years., The trends were less consistent in <br />the mountains and were difficult to confirm since most of the stations <br />were relocated at least once during the past few decades. The effect of <br />these station moves, even minor ones, can be very dramatic in the <br />mountains. On the plains small changes in station location may have <br />1 i ttl e effect. <br />The resulting pattern of change of annual average precipitation <br />from the 1931-1960 period to the 1951-1980 period was much less <br />systematic than either of the 10 year changes. The pattern indicated <br />that most of the Eastern Plains were drier than they had been in the <br />1931-1960 period, However the only areas where these changes were <br />significant (more than 0.50 inch) was in the vicinity of Burlington and <br />along the Arkansas River from LaJunta to Pueblo. The most dramatic <br />change toward drier conditions occurred in the extreme southwest portion <br />of the state where a decrease in precipitation was noted in both 10-year <br />periods. Slightly greater precipitation was observed at stations east <br />of the mountains from Colorado Springs north to Fort Collins and <br />throughout the Rio Grande Valley. In the mountains changes were <br />difficult to decipher. Station moves seemed to have a much greater <br />impact on the averages at the few high elevation stations than did any <br />actual changes in precipitation. There are only 11 stations at <br />elevations above 8,000 feet that were operated throughout most of the <br />1931-1980 period. Of these only 4 earned a priority 1 ranking and only <br />1 station, North Lake, was operated continuously and was never relocated <br /> <br />. <br />