Weather

Paul's Tips on Fort Collins, Riding and Weather

I've been in Fort Collins a long time so I'll throw in my opinions on

	1. The weather is unpredictable and can change anytime, anywhere, in any direction with little or no warning due local weather systems.
	2. Disregarding local weather systems, temperature falls 3-4 deg-F for every 1000 ft of altitude gained.
	3. Disregarding local weather systems, there is a tendency to have stronger winds in the mtn canyons; generally down-valley in the morning, up-valley in the afternoon.
	4. Disregarding local weather systems, winds tend to pick up as the day progresses and start to die down after dusk.
	5. Disregarding local weather systems, winds tend to be out of the NW.
	6. Disregarding local weather systems, winds tend to be stronger the closer to Wyoming you get.
	7. Disregarding local weather systems, temperature tends to be warmer at the foot of the mountains than in the mountains or on the plains.
	8. Weather systems tend to come from the N-NW. Watch that direction closely and often for signs of changes. But the mountains often obscure what's coming so that there's often little warning.

	1. Be ready for anything.
	2. Ride NW in the morning and let the wind blow you home later in the day.
	3. Stay near the foothills if you expect whether to be coming - don't go too far up in the mtns or too far out on the plains.
	4. Going too far out on the plains can be a long ride home if winds come up or if a system blows in over the mountains.

That's my two cents worth.

Thanks to Paul McClure for these tidbits

Just got back from the climatologists' talk (3/25/04) on Prevailing Wind Patterns around Fort Collins at the FCCC meeting.

	Daytime Most Common Wind Direction: southeast. (10am, to 4pm)
	Nighttime Most Common Wind Direction: northwest. (8pm to 8am, I think)
	Direction of Change when Winds Change Direction: Clockwise.
	Direction of Strongest Winds: northwest.
	Most Common Wind Direction From Thunderstorms: southwest.
	Windiest Month of the Year: April
	Least Windy Month of the Year: January
	Wind patterns change dramatically just north of Wellington.
	Wind patterns change in the mountains (e.g. near Estes Park) earlier in the afternoon than they do down on the flats.
	Wind directions in straight canyons tend to be up canyon in afternoon, down in morning, but in curvy canyons you often get eddies and the direction can be totally random. Thanks Dave Newman for sending in these tips!