Laserfiche WebLink
Exhibit H climate pg 1 <br />Climate Narrative for Las Animas County, Colorado <br />Prepared by the Natural Resources Conservation Service National Water and Climate <br />Center, Portland, Oregon. <br />Climate Tables are created from climate station TRINIDAD FAA ARPT Colorado <br />Thunderstorm days, relative humidity, percent sunshine, and wind information are <br />estimated from First Order station Pueblo, Colorado. <br />Table 1 gives data on temperature and precipitation for the survey area as recorded at <br />TRINIDAD FAA ARPT in the period 1971 to 2000. Table 2 shows probable dates of the <br />first freeze in fall and the last freeze in spring. Table 3 provides data on the <br />length of the growing season. <br />In winter, the average temperature is 33.4 degrees F and the average daily minimum <br />temperature is 18.4 degrees. Figure 1 shows the average January minimum temperature <br />across the county. The lowest temperature on record, which occurred at TRINIDAD FAA <br />ARPT on January 11, 1963, is -32 degrees. In summer, the average temperature is 71.3 <br />degrees and the average daily maximum temperature is 86.6 degrees. Figure 2 shows the <br />average July maximum temperature across the county. The highest temperature, which <br />occurred at TRINIDAD FAA ARPT on August 16, 2000, is 104 degrees. <br />Growing degree days are shown in Table 1. They are equivalent to "heat units ". <br />During the month, growing degree days accumulate by the amount that the average <br />temperature each day exceeds a base temperature (40 degrees F). The normal monthly <br />accumulation is used to schedule single or successive plantings of a crop between the <br />last freeze in spring and the first freeze in fall. <br />The average annual total precipitation is about 14.05 inches. Figure 3 shows the <br />average annual precipitation across the county. Of this, about 8.92 inches, or 63 <br />percent, usually falls in May through September. The growing season for most crops <br />falls within this period. The heaviest 1 -day rainfall during the period of record was <br />4.52 inches at TRINIDAD FAA ARPT on July 3, 1981. Thunderstorms occur on about 47 <br />days each year, and most occur in July. <br />The average seasonal snowfall is 42.5 inches. The greatest snow depth at any one time <br />during the period of record was 16 inches recorded on November 1, 1972. On an <br />average, 36 days per year have at least 1 inch of snow on the ground. The heaviest 1- <br />day snowfall on record was 18.1 inches recorded on October 31, 1972. <br />The average relative humidity in mid- afternoon is about 38 percent. Humidity is <br />higher at night, and the average at dawn is about 74 percent. The sun shines 79 <br />percent of the time in summer and 73 percent in winter. The prevailing wind is from <br />the west. Average wind speed is highest, 10.3 miles per hour, in April. <br />Page 14 of 20 <br />