Laserfiche WebLink
• are usually very light during the coldest weather. Changes in v~inter are <br />generally gradual, and abrupt changes are much less frequent than in eastern <br />Colorado. "Cold waves" are rare. Sunny days predominate in all seasons. <br />"Flying weather conditions are generally favorable for operation of light <br />airplanes, with visibilities of 20 miles or more and ceiling of 5,000 feet or higher <br />prevailing approximately 95 percent of the time. Gusty surtace winds are rather <br />frequent in the spring and early summer. The prevailing v~ind is from the east- <br />southeast due to the 'Palley breeze" effects, but the strongest winds are <br />usually from the south and southwest, and are associated with thunderstorms <br />or with pre-frontal weather." <br />Wind Speed and Wind Direction <br />Wind speed and wind direction are not recorded at the Nucla Mine site nor is it available <br />from the Uravan or Norwood Stations. The closest National Weather Service Station that <br />• records wind infommation is at Grand Junction, Colorado. <br />The prevailing wind direction at Grand Junction is from the east-southeast at a mean wind <br />speed of 8.1 miles per hour. It must be stressed that the infommation from Grand Junction <br />does not likely apply to the Nucla Mine site. The Grand Junction Station is situated in a <br />valley (elevation 4,849 feet), surrounded by mountains and is greatly influenced by the <br />valley winds rather than the synoptic winds. The mine site is, however, located above a <br />valley on a mesa (elevation approximately 5,700 feet} and is therefore more likely to be <br />subject to the synoptic winds from the west to southwest (Dosken, 1980 and Benson, <br />1979). <br />Prnapitation and Temperafrue <br />Norwood and Uravan, Colorado are the locations of the nearest precipitation and <br />temperature data to the New Horizon Mine. It should be stressed that these stations may <br />not accurately represent the conditions at the Nucla Mine. Both stations are located deep <br />• within valleys, and are subject to localized conditions such as cold air drainage into the <br />2.04.8 - 3 <br />