PERMFILE48881

• Permit No: C1981033A
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 11/14/2003
• Section_Exhibit Name: Rule 2.04 Environmental Resources
• Media Type: D
• Archive: Yes

The closest active reporting station to the permit area is at Paonia,
Colorado, which is only about lU miles west of the area. Meteorological
data has been collected by the United States Department of Commerce in
Paonia. Information from the Paonia location is presented herein to
provide the best data as related to the permit area.
2.04.8 Climatological Information
General descriptions of the climate in west central Colorado are
difficult due to the rugged topography of the region. Because of the
extremes in elevation, large variations in climate are likely. At
mountain summits and in high alpine meadows, summers are cool and
winters are normally severe with sub-zero temperatures. Temperatures
tend to decrease and precipitation tends to increase with increased
elevation. Precipitation falls from air of Pacific origin and occurs
most frequently in the winter half of the year. There is a winter
maximum of precipitation over the higher elevations of the region, with
• Sumner maximums at the most lower elevation locations. The climates of
local areas are affected not only by altitude, but also by the
orientation of the mountain ranges and the effect they have on the
prevailing winds and local air movements.
Along the North Fork of the Gunnison River, in the vicinity of Somerset,
elevations are about 6,000 feet, whereas several peaks along the
Continental Divide immediately east of Somerset rise to elevations
between 12,000 and 14,000 feet. These peaks are oriented approximately
north-south and are located east of Somerset.
The Continental Divide has some pronounced effects on Tocal weather
features of the region:
1) It acts as a barrier to storm systems approaching from the
west and southwest;
2) It tends to provide an effective barrier to the moisture-
. laden air that reaches into the plains from the Gulf of
Mexico; and
2.04-33