Geography of Denver
| Denver | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate chart () | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|
0.4
44
17
|
0.4
46
19
|
0.9
54
26
|
1.7
62
33
|
2.1
72
43
|
2
82
52
|
2.2
89
59
|
1.7
87
58
|
1
79
48
|
1
65
37
|
0.6
52
24
|
0.4
44
17
|
| Average max. and min. temperatures in °F | |||||||||||
| Precipitation totals in inches | |||||||||||
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||
| Metric conversion | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|
10
7
−8
|
9.4
8
−7
|
23
12
−3
|
43
16
1
|
54
22
6
|
50
28
11
|
55
32
15
|
43
31
14
|
24
26
9
|
26
19
3
|
15
11
−4
|
8.9
7
−8
|
| Average max. and min. temperatures in °C | |||||||||||
| Precipitation totals in mm | |||||||||||
The City and County of Denver, Colorado, is located at 39°43'35" North, 104°57'56" West (39.726287, −104.965486) in the Colorado Front Range region. The Southern Rocky Mountains lie to the west of Denver and the High Plains lie to the east.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 401.3 km² (154.9 mi²). 397.2 km² (153.4 mi²) of it is land and 4.1 km² (1.6 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.03% water.
Denver features a semi-arid climate (Koppen climate classification BSk) with very low humidity and around 3,100 hours of sunshine per year. The weather of the city and surrounding area is influenced by the proximity of the Rocky Mountains to the west. The climate, while generally mild compared to the mountains to the west and the plains further east, can be moderately unpredictable. Measurable amounts of snow have fallen in Denver as late as Memorial Day and as early as Labor Day, though this is extremely rare and hasn't occurred in many years.
The average temperature in Denver is 50.4 °F (10.2 °C), and the average yearly precipitation is 14.30 in (363 mm). The average window for measurable (≥0.1 in or 0.25 cm) snowfall is October 17 thru April 27, averaging 53.8 in (136.7 cm) of seasonal accumulation for 1981−2010. Denver averages 270 clear and partly cloudy days per year or 3200 hours of sunshine making it one of the sunniest major cities. Denver receives more precipitation than most locations with semi-arid climates, but still features a semi-arid climate due to its high evapotranspiration.
Denver's winters are normally dry and range from mild to considerably cold, and although large amounts of snow can fall on the mountains just west of the city, the effects of orographic lift dry out the air passing over the Front Range shadowing the city from precipitation for much of the season. Additionally, warm chinook winds can occasionally be felt as air passing over the mountains heats as it descends, bringing a melting snow cover and surging temperatures; from December to February there is an average 12−18 days of 50 °F (10 °C)+ highs and 1−3 days of above-freezing lows per month. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Denver was recorded on January 9, 1875 at −29 °F (−34 °C), though the last time Denver recorded a temperature below −20 °F (−29 °C) was December 22, 1990.
...
Wikipedia