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' and orographically influenced. Being in the mountains , much of the <br /> precipitation is orographic , especially as related to Pikes Peak. <br /> ' The site probably receives about 18 to 24 inches of <br /> precipitation per year. Winter temperatures can be quite cold, but <br /> cold periods are often broken by periods of warmth and partial <br /> 1 thawing. Summer temperatures are mild in the day and cool at night . <br /> Temperatures much in excess of 90 degrees F. are uncommon. The <br /> growing season is about 120 to 130 days . This pattern is fairly <br /> ' typical of Open Montane Forest dominated by Ponderosa Pine. <br /> Unfortunately, there are no nearby weather stations that have <br /> a record of sufficient length to determine patterns of wet and dry <br /> years or a good estimate of average conditions . Although weather <br /> ' records are available for Woodland Park, Lake George, and <br /> Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, drawing conclusions from <br /> these limited records would probably carry considerable risk <br /> 1 because local topography has so much influence on precipitation, <br /> temperature, and other factors that influence vegetation <br /> development in mountainous terrain. The best indicator of the <br /> climate is the vegetation of the site, after factoring in the <br /> ' effects of disturbance and local microenvironmental variations . <br /> � 1 <br /> i <br /> 1 <br /> 1 <br /> 1 <br /> 1 <br /> 1 <br /> 1 <br /> 1 <br /> 5 <br /> 1 <br />