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• <br />Climate <br />Most of the Pueblo Area is in the plains physio- <br />graphicprovince. The plains have light rainfall, moder- <br />ate to high winds and a wide range in temperature. <br />United States Weather Bureau records at the Pueblo <br />Airport show an average annual precipitation of 11.9 <br />inches, an average annual temperature of 52.7° F, and <br />an average summer (June, July, and August) tempera- <br />ture of 74°, An important feature of the precipitation <br />is that 70 to 80 percent falls in the period April to <br />September, which is the growing season. Nevertheless, <br />evapotranspiration exceeds the precipitation. Sum- <br />mer precipitation is largely from thunderstorms, tivhich <br />sometimes are extremely heavy and yield much runoff, <br />Approaching the foothills and mountains in the west- <br />ern part from the plains in the eastern part of Pueblo <br />County, there are a number of significant changes in <br />the climate. The winds are less severe, temperature <br />changes from day to day are not so great, summer tem- <br />peratures are lower, and winter temperatures are <br />higher. Precipitation increases significantly with the in- <br />creasing elevation of the foothills. <br />An important factor in soil formation is the amount <br />of tivater available for leaching during seasons when <br />the soil is warm enough for plant growth and microbial <br />activity. tivater and temperature have a major role <br />in the growth and activity of organic life in and on <br />the soil, in the physical translocation of substances <br />in the soil solutions, and in controlling the rate and <br />direction of chemical processes. For example, soils on <br />the plains have undergone little leaching. The depth <br />to soluble calcium compounds in soils that have distinct <br />horizons ranges from a fe~v to about 20 inches and <br />represents the average maximum depth that moisture <br />reaches. In the mountains of the Pueblo Area, soils <br />have lost bases and generally are acid. The surface <br />layer has a bleached color, and the subsoil is relatively <br />deep. <br />United States Department of Agriculture <br />Soil Conservation Service <br />in cooperation with <br />Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station <br />