Coming to ski? Snowboard? How about rafting, sailing, hiking, mountain climbing, or bicycling? Visitors come for all of the above. And many purchase real estate here to maximize their experiences. We've had "bad" snow years and great snow years (like this 2004-5 season). Other than environmental changes, what brings us snow? What stops it from getting here? And what do the mountains really have to do with it? One of the best explanations I've found is on my good friend's website. Owned by Paul and Cora Winters (transplants from Ohio), their site takes snapshots from past weather patterns and explains how it works. It's worth checking out. However, regardless of the amount of precipitation, you'll love it here because the climate is generally dry. Since we live at 9,000 to 10,000 feet, the air is cooler. Hence, evaporation doesn't occur as freely, and the moisture tends to stay on the ground or in bodies of water rather than in the air. This tends to even out the feeling of hot and cold you have. In the winter, a dry cold is much "warmer" that the moist cold felt in lower parts of the country. You on a sunny day of around 30 degrees, you'll actually see many people skiing without coats on. In the summer, hot days only get to about 80 degrees, and even then, you just don't perspire as much as you do in the lowlands. Come visit. You'll be comfortable - and you'll like all we have to offer. |