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~IYI <br />III I III II I IIIIII III Doc Date:12/11/2001 <br />999 <br />2.04.8 Climatological Information <br />• <br />he closest ac ive reporting stations to the permit area are at <br />Craig, Colorado, which is about 28 miles northeast of the area and <br />at Meeker, Colorado, which is about 20 miles south of the area. <br />Information from both locations is presented herein to provide the <br />best data as related to the permit area and to indicate the <br />variability in climatological characteristics that may be expected <br />within short distances. Also, the data collected at the Colowyo <br />mine site are presented. <br />The climate of the area can be described as typical of a high <br />plains, continental, mid-latitude region with warm summers and cold <br />winters characterized by high diurnal and seasonal temperature <br />variations. The low relative humidity usually makes the hot summer <br />days pleasant. The summer nights are generally cool because of <br />strong out-going terrestrial radiation. The combination of dry air <br />and strong solar radiation tempers the cold temperatures of winter <br />days. <br />The outstanding characteristic of the climate of northwest Colorado <br />is its aridity and is sometimes referred to as semi-arid steppe. <br />The flow of Pacific air dominating the climate descends into the <br />area as a warming and drying mass after depositing its moisture <br />over the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountains. <br />A large rain shadow is created over Nevada, Utah, and western <br />Colorado by the clocking action of these natural barriers to the <br />moist, maritime air. <br />Intense cold waves are rare because of the barriers created by the <br />mountains of the Continental Divide. Generally, severe storms and <br />low pressure systems bypass the region by deflecting north or south <br />over lower elevations of the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming and New <br />Mexico, respectively. The predominant air mass over the Rocky <br />Mountains during the winter is usually continental polar and <br />sometimes maritime polar and produces cold, dry air during storm- <br />free periods. High pressure systems that result in fine, light, <br />powdery snow tend to become established in winter over the region <br />which lies within the mean winter storm track. <br />,~~ <br />2.04.8-1 <br />