The neighborhood sits in the foothills on the east side of the Rocky Mountains. Being on the lee side of the major mountain chain in North America, the Front Range is a semi-arid climate characterized by plenty of sunshine and dry air. Average liquid precipitation each year is 16 inches. Average snowfall in Rockrimmon is approximately 50 inches per year.

Unlike the wet and sloppy snow typically found in mid-west snowstorms, the typical snow in our neighborhood tends to be the dry, airy and powdery snow. It's often closer to the world famous champagne powder of Colorado's ski resorts. Occasionally, an early or late season snow will have enough water to produce a beautiful wet snow. Get the cameras out when that happens!

January and February can feature fierce downslope windstorms. Chinook wind storms occur ahead of a cold weather change. Chinook winds dry the atmosphere significantly and can quickly eat away at any snow that may be on the ground. These wind storms can produce localized gusts over 100mph. Bora wind storms will occur after the passage of a cold front. These tend to not be as strong as Chinook winds, but can still rattle the windows in the middle of the night!

While long time residents will tell you that afternoon thunderstorms don't occur as often as they did in the 1970s and 1980s, the unstable air found over the mountains each afternoon during the warm season often results in early afternoon thunderstorms during the late Spring and Summer months. These storms can often look more menacing than they are. Dry air below the clouds will often cause the rain to evaporate before it makes it to the surface. When this happens, the storms can often produce rapid increases in wind known as microbursts.

The wettest months of the year are in July and August during the southwest or Summer monsoon. This seasonal wind shift brings more water into the atmosphere from the oceans to our south and west. Slow-moving, water laden thunderstorms can easily produce a quick inch or more of rain. Flash flooding can occur in these instances and our normally dry Dry Creek can become a raging river.

When skies are dark to the northwest, make sure your kids stay out of creeks and drainages.