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• iii iiiiiiiiniii iii <br />EXHIBIT K <br />CLIMATE <br />The White River Resource Area is located in a high valley/mountainous, continental <br />climate regime characterized by dry air, sunny days, clear nights, variable precipitation, <br />mc~derate evaporation, and large diurnal temperature changes. Because of the surrounding <br />mc~untains, low pressure systems tend to pass around the region, whereas high pressure cells <br />stagnate, blocked by the Rocky Mountains, resulting in moderate temperatures and abundant <br />sunshine. Extremely frigid conditions and blizzards can occur (usually due to continental <br />arctic air masses), but severe weather conditions such as tornadoes, floods, and damaging <br />hail are very rare. <br />Within the Resource Area, annual precipitation varies primarily due to the orographic <br />eff~°ct of the Flat Tops. Annual precipitation ranges from less than 10 inches around Rangely <br />to over 50 inches near Big Marvine Peak; most of the Resource Area averages 10 - 20 inches <br />per year. Except for areas with high snowpack, most precipitation comes from summer <br />thunderstorms. Snowfall amounts vary from around 30 inches at the lower elevations to l80 <br />inches at Marvine Ranch; mountainous areas typically accumulate from 30 to 50 inches of <br />snowpack. <br />Upper lever winds prevail from the southwest, but the varying ground cover and <br />diverse terrain cause complex surface wind patterns. Persistent winds with little directional <br />mc~dification are found on the plateaus, but winds in valleys show strong drainage influences. <br />Synoptic (pressure gradient) winds may be channeled or forced around hills, but without <br />strong gradient flows, diurnal upslope/downslope winds predominate. Upslope winds occur <br />when the air near the ground cools, becomes dense and sinks along the drainages. Similar <br />light diurnal winds will occur along the White River. <br />