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Climate EI Paso County Area is fairly hoC in summer and tether cold in winter. Precipitation occurs mainly in the warm period during thunderstorms and occa.;ional hail- storms. Snowstorms occur ecery• winter, but blizzards are • rare. Total annual precipitation is adequate for rmge gr;tsses but marginal for dry'land crops. Table 1 show9 temperature and precipitation data for the period IJSI [0 1073. They were recorrleri at Colnrario Springs but are representative of the entire Area. Table 2 shows the probable dates of the first freeze in fall and the last freeze in spring. Table 3 ehow~s the length of the growing season. In +vinter, the average temperature is :31.0 degrees F and the averrKe daily minimum is 17.7 degrees. The ab- solute lowed temperature during the entire period of record a~as -'_'7 degrees, obsen'ed at Colorado Springs on f'ebty:u}' 1, l9.-i 1. In summer. [he acern Ke temperature is GK.4 degree; and the acreage daily maximum is 8°.:3 drgrces. The absolute highest temperature +vas UN3 Jcpres, reco rrled on June °_:3, l9:rl. (lrnwinK degree days, shown in Table 1, are equivalent W "heat unit;." Starting in spring, they accumulate by [he amount that the avenge tempt taco re each day exceeds tho b:o:e temperature. The normal monthly accumulation is user! Cn schedule single or successive plantings of a trop within the sea:'unal limits of the last freeze in spring soul the [Sent freeze in full. As shu+~n in Table 1, the total annual precipitation is :rL,~ut 1~~:'I inrh•~s. Of chi: total, I°.'_'.9 inches, or dl per- rrnt, a>ually fills 4urinK the pertud April through Srp- trudna•, +~hich ir,clwles the growing season for moat vrup.. 'I'~ru gran in UI, the April-September rainfall is • Ir~~s Urm x.~u mchrs. The heaviest I-Jay rainfall dw~mg for period of rrcunl wss a!N) incises aC Colnrarlo Springs ' on July 2P, 19.i1. Thunderstorms number about 60 each po:u', ~C: nt ~. hich accm• in .ummer. Avenge seasonal snowfall is 422 inches. The greatest depth of snow on the ground at any one time during the period wy 30 inches. On [he average, 1° days have at lent l inch oC ;now on the ground, but the number of days varies from year to year. The avenge relative humidity in midafternoon in spring i3 fens than 15 percent, and during the rest of the year it is about 4l percent. Humidity is higher :d nigh[ in all seaaons, and the average at dawn is about tii percent. The percen[aKe oC possible sunshine is 72 in ;ummer and 71 in winter. The prevailing direction of the wind is from the north-northeast. Avenge annual windspeed is 10.4 miles per hour. Average w~indspeed is highest, (_.'_' miles per hour, in .April. The potential Cor dry'land croon in EI Paso County .-l tea is limited by low aver,rge annual precipitation, which ranges from :+bout 1l inches w shout ID inch PS. "Che southern halt of the :u'ea and the par[ ra,t of Fountain Creek hove the !owes[ :werrge annu:d precipitation, less than 1:S inches. Cool temperatures and a short growing season, in area.; in the northern part of the county that are a[ an elevation of more Chan about b',SrN) feet, fut'[her limit the choice of crop:;.