Brief by Central Staff
Weather – August 2003 – Colorado Central Magazine
Since we don’t cover the entire globe, we’re not equipped to comment on “global warming.” But early July sure showed ample evidence of “Central Colorado Warm ing.”
According to the National Weather Service, the average daily July high in Leadville is 71.3°F. For the first six days of July this year, the highs were 78°, 77°, 79°, 77°, 79°, and 76° — which works out to an average of 6.3° above the average.
Alamosa, the leading city of “the land of cool sunshine,” might have to change that slogan. Its average July high is 82°, but on July 11, the mercury reached 92°, setting a record for that date; the previous July 11 high was 90° in 1980.
Buena Vista’s average July high is 81.7°; it averaged 88.9° the first week of the month, peaking at 91° on Independence Day.
The average July high in Salida is 83.6°; this year’s highs in early July ranged from 92° to 95°. By the 11th, heat-weary residents were getting excited, not by the prospect of rain, but merely by seeing a cloud.
Westcliffe was cooler, though still above its July average high of 81.2°. As we went to press in mid-July, no day in Westcliffe had yet been that cool, with highs ranging from 85° to 87°.
Even Gunnison was pushing 90°, with a high there of 87° on July 6; its average July high is 80.8°.
As you might have suspected, the coolest place where they keep historical weather records hereabouts is Climax — its average July high is 64.5°.
