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Local Clima~lagical Data • Rnnual Summary With Comparative Data 1976 COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO Narrative Climatological Summary ~Ep1T OF CO P~ f 1 ~'~i o ~- • ~ "r=y G ~'C-:T. Q ~~ ~~ ~~~ oSTgrES of P At an elevation near 6,200 feet m.s.l., Colorado Springs is located in relatively flat semi-arid country on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. Immediately to the west the mountains rise abruptly to heights ranging from 10,000 Co 14,000 feet but generally averaging near 11,000 feet. To the east lie gently undulating prairie lands. The land slopes upward to the north, reaching an average height of about 8,000 feet in 20 miles at the top of Palmer Lake Dlvide. Colorado Springs is in the Arkansas River drainage basin. The principal tributary feeding the Arkansas from this area is Fountain Creek, which rises in the high moun- tains west of the City and is fed by Monument Creek originating to the north in the Palmer Lake Divide area. Other topographical features of the area, and particularly its wide range of eleva- tions, help to give Colorado Springs the various and altogether delightful plains-and- mountain mixture of climate that has established the locality as a highly desirable and healthful place to live. The "Means and Extremes" record table, pinpointing records for the City itself, necessarily omits interesting essentials about the gen- eral locality of which the City is the center. For example: The temperature dif- ference between the City and the summit of Pikes Peak, 12 airline miles away, is about the same as the difference between Colorado Springs and Iceland; precipitation amounts at higher elevatlons in the Colorado Springs neighborhood are approximately twice those at nearby lower elevations and the number of rainy days almost triple. In Colorado Springs itself, precipitation is relatively light and over 80 percent of it falls between April 1 and September 30 - much'of it as heavy downpours accompanying summ~,r thunderstorms. Temperatures, in view of the station's latitude and elevation, are mild. Uncomfortable extremes, in either summer or winter, are comparatively rare. Relative humidity is normally low and wind movement moderately high. This is notably true of the west-to-east movement' of the Chinook winds, so important in moderating winter temperatures and reminding white men that the Indian meaning of "cllinook" is "snow eater." Colorado Springs is best known as a resort city, but the surrounding pra3irie is also important for cattle raising and a considerable amount of grazing land is used for sheep in the summer months. The growing season varies considerably in length, from a recorded shortest of 110 days to a longest of 194 days. The average is 149 days, Eronl about Diay 8 to about October 4. C1O~Ac~ ATMOSPHERICEADMINISTRATION/DATASOERVECEAL/ AS EIOILLE,N.CIMATIC CENTER E~CN~~IT ' {<'