GANNETT.] 



CLIMATE OF COLORADO. 



315 



West of this and the Elk Mountains a broken expanse of desert pla- 

 teaus, arid and waterless, stretches toward the setting sun farther than 

 the eye can reach. 



The total width of the mountain district in the latitude of Middle 

 Park is 75 miles ; in the latitude of South Park, to the western extrem- 

 ity of the Elk Mountains, is 160 miles; and farther south, across San 

 Luis Valley and the San Juan Mountains, it is even broader, being about 

 180 miles. 



CLIMATE. 



The climate of Colorado is characterized by great dryness of the atmos- 

 phere, slight rainfall, and that in sudden, short, showers, during which 

 it seems as if the heavens were opened; extremes In temperature, very 

 low in winter and high in summer, hot in the day and cool at night, and 

 subject to very sudden and great changes. The direct heat of the sun's 

 rays is very great. Very high winds and " dust-storms " are of frequent 

 occurrence. The prevailing winds are from the northwest and w^est. 



The rain-fall is of so variable and explosive a character, that it can be 

 depended on for little, except to do damage. The following table, 

 made up from Smithsonian Contributions and the reports of the Signal 

 Bureau, although very meagre, will give an idea of the amount of the 

 natural watering which this State receives : 



Table of monthly and annual rain-fall. 



j 





a 

 a 



u 



1 ' 



1 



S 

 o 



§ 



3 



a 



a 

 3 



3 



1 

 '0 

 



> 



1 



1 





 





Latitude 



37° 32' 



105° 23' 



8,365 



37° 32' 



105° 40' 



7,945 



38° 08' 



102° 50' 



3,725 



40° 15' 



103° 46' 



4,506 



39° 

 106° 

 10, 783 



39° 35' 

 105° 40' 



390 45' 



105° 20' 



5,729 



39° 45' 



105° 04' 



5,244 



38° 55' 



104° 58' 



6, 032 



41° 12' 



Longicude 



Heifeht, feet 



104° 4i' 

 6,075 





0.86 

 0.61 

 1.25 

 1.19 

 0.71 

 2.01 

 2.84 

 1.80 

 0.87 

 3.61 

 1.07 



o.ir 



0.21 

 0.33 

 0. 34 

 0.33 

 0.77 

 1.29 

 1.27 

 0.76 

 0.33 

 0.24 

 0. 13 



0.32 

 0.12 

 0.16 

 2.09 

 4.84 

 1.40 

 2.53 

 0.37 

 0.04 

 0.00 

 0.07 

 0.15 



0.31 



'"b'.w 



2.55 

 0.73 

 0.52 

 0.60 

 0.00 

 0.19 



4.55 

 1.00 

 3.70 

 5.56 

 11.73 







0.39 

 0.29 

 0.84 

 1.78 

 3.92 

 1.52 

 3.22 

 1..35 

 1.71 

 0.54 

 0.71 

 0.47 



6.~54" 

 6.19 

 2.96 

 1.15 



0.15 

 0.37 

 0.57 

 2.03 

 4.87 

 1.04 

 3.44 

 1.10 

 1.87 

 0.13 

 1.19 

 0.29 



7.87 

 5.58 

 3.19 

 0.81 



0.05 





0.25 

 0.97 

 0.60 



"5.40 

 3.50 

 3.94 

 0.50 

 2.20 



0.06 





0.55 





0.59 





2.14 





1.07 









2.48 









1.54 



September 





""4.' 66" 



3.20 



0.88 

 0.54 





0.35 







2.10 



0.05 













2.95 

 5.56 

 6.28 

 2.27 



1.00 

 3.33 

 1.32 

 0.45 



7.09 

 4.30 

 0.11 

 0.59 



""i.85 



20.99 







3.28 







7.94 



5.09 









1.77 













0.16 

















17. 06 



6.11 



12.09 











16.84 



17. 15 



10.30 















Of these. Forts Lyon and Morgan are well out in the plains, far from 

 the immediate influence of the mountains. Cheyenne, Denver, and Colo- 

 rado Springs and Golden City are near the edge of the plains, just at 

 the foot of the mountains. Forte Massachusetts and Garland were 

 located (the former has long been abandoned) on the eastern side of the 

 San Luis Valley but a few miles apart. The former was nearer the 

 mountains, and at a greater elevation than the latter. The very marked 

 increase in rain-fall, owing to the slightly different topographical situa- 

 tion, will be noted. Montgomery and Mountain City are in high mount- 

 ain valleys, closely hemmed in by high, rugged, ranges. 



