Annual Summary 2001 -- Colorado Springs

   ...2001 WEATHER IN COLORADO SPRINGS...

JAN--COOL, WET AND SNOWY.  THIS WAS THE 2ND SNOWIEST JANUARY ON 
     RECORD WITH 14.6 INCHES OF SNOW, AND THE 4TH WETTEST WITH .83
     LIQUID PRECIPITATION. (Normal is .29) A SLOW MOVING SNOW STORM
     DROPPED 7 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW OVER THE AREA ON THE 15TH-16TH 
     WITH HIGHER AMOUNTS TO THE SOUTH. 
FEB--COOL WITH SOME  MOISTURE. TEMPERATURES, PRECIPITATION 
     SNOWFALL ALL BELOW NORMAL.
MAR--A NORMAL MONTH FOR TEMPERATURES AND MOISTURE AROUND THE AREA.
APR--SNOWFALL OF 8.1 INCHES WAS ALMOST DOUBLE THE NORMAL 4.5
     INCHES FOR THE MONTH. TEMPERATURES WERE WELL ABOVE NORMAL
     BUT PRECIPITATION WAS BELOW NORMAL. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS STRUCK
     ON THE 11TH WITH  WINDS GUSTING UP TO 80 MPH.  UP TO 18 INCHES 
     OF SNOW, AND SNOW DRIFTS TO 10 FEETB IN PLACES. MANY PEOPLE 
     WERE STRANDED IN  VEHICLES OR HOMES, AND HAD TO BE RESCUED  BY 
     CITY-COUNTY AND ARMY RESCUE SQUADS.
MAY--SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH WAS 6.5 INCHES, WELL ABOVE NORMAL.
     PRECIPITATION WAS ALSO WELL ABOVE NORMAL WHILE TEMPERATURES
     WERE NORMAL. A STRONG THUNDERSTORM STRUCK ELLICOTT ON THE 
     EVENING OF THE 28TH, AND ALMOST COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE 
     JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, THEN DESTROYED SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES
     3/4 MILE TO THE NORTHWEST. MUCH DAMAGE OCCURRED, BUT NO LIVES
     WERE LOST. ON THE 30TH, 4 SOLDIERS AT FT. CARSON WERE STRUCK BY
     LIGHTNING. ONE DIED LATER FROM HIS INJURIES.
JUN--A NORMAL MONTH FOR MOISTURE, AS WARM TEMPERATURES WERE 1.5 
     DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ON THE 20TH CARVED A
     PATH NEARLY 2 MILES WIDE WHILE DROPPING 1 INCH HAIL IN THE BLACK
     FOREST, AND 4 INCH HAIL IN THE CALHAN AREA.
JUL--THE AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE WAS NEARLY 3 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL,
     AND PRECIPITATION JUST ABOVE NORMAL. LIGHTNING STRUCK THE SUMMIT 
     HOUSE ON PIKES PEAK ON THE 12TH CAUSING ELECTRICAL FIRES THAT 
     CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE TO WIRING AND EQUIPMENT.
AUG--MPERATURES WERE ABOVE NORMAL, WITH RAINFALL BELOW NORMAL. ON THE 
     31ST THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES AN HOUR 
     CAUSED SERIOUS FLOODING IN DOWNTOWN COLORADO SPRINGS.  LIGHTNING
     DAMAGED A WATER PUMP AT  THE I-25/BIJOU STREET BRIDGE, CLOSING
     THE INTERSTATE FOR ABOUT 10 HOURS DUE TO FLOODING.
SEP--BOTH TEMPERATURE AND SNOWFALL WERE ABOVE NORMAL FOR THE MONTH. 
     THE SEASONS FIRST SNOWSTORM ARRIVED ON THE 8TH WITH 2.3 INCHES OF
     SNOW.  THUNDERSTORMS ON THE 15TH DROPPED HAIL UP TO  1 3/4 INCHES
     OVER COLORADO SPRINGS AND SECURITY, THEN EAST TO YODER AND
     ELLICOTT.
OCT--ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE MONTH WHILE BOTH PRECIPITATION
     AND SNOWFALL WERE WELL BELOW NORMAL.
NOV--ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE MONTH WHILE BOTH PRECIPITATION 
     AND SNOWFALL WERE BELOW NORMAL. A SNOW STORM ON THE 8TH LEFT 2 TO
     8 INCHES OF SNOW EAST OF THE CITY AROUND CALHAN. ON THE 22ND AND 
     23RD ANOTHER STORM BROUGHT WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH AND 6 INCHES OF
     SNOW FROM THE BLACK FOREST EAST TO SIMLA.
DEC--TEMPERATURES AVERAGED 1.8 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL BUT MOISTURE WAS 
     WELL BELOW NORMAL.  ONLY 1.2 INCHES OF SNOW FOR THE MONTH (NORMAL 
     10.2) AND NO SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS.
                

                 .. 2001 STATISTICS ..

       AVG  AVG   MEAN   DEP. FM      PCPN  SNOW   HTG DEG    COOL DEG.
        HI  LOW          NORMAL                    DAYS       DAYS
JAN   39.2  15.0   27.1  Minus 1.7    0.83  14.6   1169          0
FEB   41.6  19.0   30.3  Minus 1.7    0.26   5.9    964          0
MAR   48.2  26.5   37.4  Minus 0.1    1.38  12.0    850          0
APR   63.2  35.5   49.4  Plus  3.0    0.98   8.1    462          0
MAY   68.2  42.0   55.1  Minus 0.3    3.22   6.5    305          5
JUN   81.2  51.8   66.5  Plus  1.5    2.14     T     54        106
JUL   87.9  59.1   73.5  Plus  2.7    3.25     0      0        272
AUG   83.9  55.6   69.8  Plus  1.5    1.47     0      6        164
SEP   78.3  47.8   63.0  Plus  2.6    1.01   2.4     97         45
OCT   66.2  35.5   50.9  Plus  1.0    0.02     0    431          0
NOV   53.9  28.0   41.0  Plus  3.2    0.37   3.7    714          0
DEC   45.0  18.1   31.6  Plus  1.8    0.09   1.2   1029          0

AVG   63.1  36.2   49.7     Totals   15.03  54.4   6081        592

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE .. 97  ON  JULY 6th
LOWEST  TEMPERATURE .. -2  ON  JAN 17th   

RECORD TEMPERATURES .. DURING 2001..  
     3 New Record High  Temperatures
     3 New Record Low   Temperatures
     4 New Low Maximum  Temperatures
     9 New High Minimum Temperatures

AVERAGE WIND SPEED .. 9.3 MPH NORMAL 10.0 MPH.
    PEAK WIND GUST .. WEST 67 MPH  ON OCT 1ST.

PRECIPITATION .. 15.03   NORMAL 16.24  INCHES.
    MOST IN 24 HOURS   1.08 INCHES JULY 12-13.

SNOW .. 54.4 INCHES        NORMAL 51.4 INCHES.
    MOST IN 24 HOURS  9.0  INCHES JAN.  15-16.

HEATING DEGREE DAYS .. 6081  NORMAL 6415 
COOLING DEGREE DAYS .. 592   NORMAL  419

HIGHEST PRESSURE .. 30.68  ON  JAN.  2ND
LOWEST  PRESSURE .. 29.21  ON  APR. 11th