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<br />• <br />~j~ K <br />The climate of this site would be classified as semi-arid. The site receives <br />about 19 to 16 inches of precipitation per year. Summer maximum temperatures can <br />run to 100 degrees and above. Winter minimum temperatures can be as low as -30 <br />degrees. Wind is a characteristic of the site being near the mountain front. <br />Many of these winds, especially the stronger ones, are hot, downslope winds and <br />can reach velocities in excess of 60 miles per hour. These winds tend to be <br />drying winds. <br />The prevailing wind is from the southwest, but the strongest winds are from <br />the west and northwest. Winds from the south, southeast, east, and northeast are <br />generally cool or cold winds and usually accompany abundant moisture. <br />Precipitation comes in the form of rain or snow. Most of the precipitation <br />is during the summer months. Unfortunately, much of that precipitation is not <br />• very effective because it is very often intense thunderstorms which delivers the <br />rain. These cloudbursts tend to produce heavy run-offs which can result in severe <br />erosion, but little actual soaking of the soil. <br />The growing season begins rather early as the climate here is not terribly <br />different from Pueblo, although it does exhibit a somewhat shorter growing season. <br />Much of the production of a desert-like environment is due to a soil condition. <br />The clay soils do not rapidly absorb great amounts of water and therefore tend to <br />be droughty. <br />The microclimatic patterns of the site are very interesting. In the winter, <br />spring and autumn, a wide range of temperatures can occur between the Fountain <br />Creek valley to the east and the mesas where the gravel is found. Intense <br />temperature inversions can become established In the Fountain Creek valley <br />• page 1 of 2 ESchibit K <br />