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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 />Rai nfall increases dramatically to the west into the San Juan <br />Mountains. South Fork, on the western edge of the valley, receives <br />about 12 inches of precipitation per year on average, and precipita- <br />tion exceeds 20 inches and more in the mountains further west. The <br />seasonal distribution of the precipitation for the project area <br />averages: spring - 24%; summer - 45%; fall - 19%; and winter - 12% <br />(average of several stations). The average annual accumul ated <br />snowfall depth is about 30 inches (measured at Saguache) but varies <br />and increases greatly from east to west. <br /> <br />The pri nci pal source of moi sture in the valley is showers <br />and thunderstorms that form over the mountains and move down into the <br />valley during the afternoon hours. Many of the showers are too light <br />to benefit growing crops, and some thunderstorms contain crop damaging <br />hail . <br /> <br />The temperature ranges are from maximum values of sl ighly over 90 <br />degrees Fahrenheit to minimums of less than 35 degrees Fahrenheit <br />below zero. The average growi ng season temperature is just over 60 <br />degrees, and the average annual temperature is between 40 and 45 <br />degrees. <br /> <br />The length of the growing season varies considerably over the area <br />and from year to year. In Monte Vista, the growing season is approxi- <br />mately 95 days. It increases to 110 days in Del Norte, which is to <br />the west. The growing season is sufficiently long to produce the <br /> <br />1-7 <br />