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• 2.04.8 Climatological Information <br />The closest active reporting station to the permit area is at Durango, <br />Colorado, which is only about 12 miles east of the area. Meteorological <br />data has been collected by the United States Department of Commerce in <br />Durango. Information from the Durango location is presented herein to <br />provide the best data as related to the permit area. <br />General descriptions of the climate in southwestern Colorado are <br />difficult due to the varied topography of the region. Because of the <br />extremes in elevation, large variations in climate are likely. At <br />mountain summits and in high alpine meadows, summers are cool and <br />winters are normally severe with sub-zero temperatures. Temperatures <br />tend to decrease and precipitation tends to increase with increased <br />elevation. Precipitation falls from air of Pacific origin and occurs <br />most frequently in the winter half of the year. There is a winter <br />maximum of precipitation over the higher elevations of the region, with <br />• summer maximums at the most lower elevation locations. The climates of <br />local areas are affected not only by altitude, but also by the <br />orientation of the mountain ranges and the effect they have on the <br />prevailing winds and local air movements. <br />Although heavy snowfalls occur frequently in winter, stationary high <br />pressure systems bring clear skies accompanied by relatively warm days <br />and cold nights. Such conditions are conducive to a wide variety of <br />outdoor sports activities. <br />Precipitation. Precipitation is directly related to local topography. <br />In general, winter precipitation falls as snow over large areas at a <br />time, whereas summer precipitation is most likely to fall as scattered, <br />local showers or thunder showers. At all times of the year, <br />precipitation is normally heaviest over and near the nearby mountain <br />ranges. Precipitation information for Durango is shown in Table 3, <br />Monthly Average Precipitation (1971-1978). <br /> <br />2.04-16 <br />