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Climatological Summary <br />Included below, for background purposes, is the Narrative Climatological Summary for Grand <br />Junction, Colorado. <br />"Located in a large mountain valley, the junction of the Colorado and Gunnison <br />Rivers, on the west slope of the Rockies, Grand Junction has a climate <br />marked by the wide seasonal range usual to interior localities at this latitude. <br />Thanks, however, to the protective topography of the vicinity, sudden and <br />severe weather changes are very infrequent. Elevation of the valley floor <br />ranges from 4,400 to 4,800 feet above sea level, with mountains on ail sides at <br />distances of from 10 to 60 miles, reaching heights of 9,000 to over 12,000 feet. <br />"This mountain valley location, with attendant "valley breezes" provides <br />protection from spring and fall frosts, resulting in a growing season averaging <br />191 days in the city of Grand Junction. This value varies considerably in the <br />outlying districts, is about the same in the upper valley around Palisade, and <br />S three to four weeks shorter near the river west of Grand Junction, where the <br />"valley breeze" is less effective. Farming areas located on mesas also enjoy <br />longer frost-free seasons than adjacent lower lying ground where cool air <br />tends to collect at night; this effect is more noticeable in the west, or lower <br />portion of the valley. The growing season is suffciently long to permit growth <br />commercially of almost all fruits except citrus varieties. Summer grazing of <br />cattle and sheep on nearby mountain ranges is extensive; foundation herds <br />are wintered in the valley and there is some winter feeding of fat cattle and <br />sheep. <br />"The interior, continental location, ringed by mountains on all sides, results in <br />quite low precipitation in all seasons. Consequently, agriculture is dependent <br />on irrigation, for which an adequate supply of water has been available from <br />mountain snows and rains. Summer rains occur chiefly as scattered light <br />showers from thunderstorms which develop over nearby mountains. Winter <br />snows are fairly frequent, but mostly light and quickly melt off. Even the <br />• 2.04.8 - 2 <br />