Pikes Peak temperatures

Colorado peak questions, condition requests and other info.
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Scott P
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Pikes Peak temperatures

Post by Scott P »

Perhaps this is TMI for anyone but true weather nerds, but I have completed compiling all the daily data for the Pikes Peak weather station.

Here are the average daily highs and lows for each date if anyone is interested.

A few notes:

Due to seasonal lag at higher elevations, temperatures in May are almost identical to that of October. June temperatures are almost identical to September. July 1 and September 1 have identical average high temperatures.

August 1-3 has the highest average highs, which is unusual for Colorado as everywhere but the highest peaks has the highest average highs 1-2 weeks earlier. Interestingly though, nights were shown to be the warmest in late July, probably because of more cloud cover (July was a bit wetter on average than August).

The coldest average lows were January 5-31, though average temperatures don't move much in January.

The difference between the highs and lows each day is very small by Colorado standards. Valley floors and the plains have much bigger ranges.

1-Jan 9 -3
2-Jan 9 -3
3-Jan 9 -3
4-Jan 8 -3
5-Jan 8 -4
6-Jan 8 -4
7-Jan 8 -4
8-Jan 8 -4
9-Jan 8 -4
10-Jan 8 -4
11-Jan 8 -4
12-Jan 8 -4
13-Jan 8 -4
14-Jan 8 -4
15-Jan 8 -4
16-Jan 8 -4
17-Jan 8 -4
18-Jan 8 -4
19-Jan 8 -4
20-Jan 8 -4
21-Jan 8 -4
22-Jan 8 -4
23-Jan 8 -4
24-Jan 8 -4
25-Jan 8 -4
26-Jan 8 -4
27-Jan 8 -4
28-Jan 8 -4
29-Jan 8 -4
30-Jan 8 -4
31-Jan 8 -4
1-Feb 9 -3
2-Feb 9 -3
3-Feb 9 -3
4-Feb 9 -3
5-Feb 9 -3
6-Feb 9 -3
7-Feb 10 -3
8-Feb 10 -3
9-Feb 10 -3
10-Feb 10 -3
11-Feb 10 -3
12-Feb 11 -3
13-Feb 11 -3
14-Feb 11 -3
15-Feb 11 -3
16-Feb 11 -3
17-Feb 11 -3
18-Feb 11 -3
19-Feb 11 -3
20-Feb 11 -3
21-Feb 11 -3
22-Feb 12 -2
23-Feb 12 -2
24-Feb 12 -2
25-Feb 12 -2
26-Feb 12 -2
27-Feb 12 -2
28-Feb 12 -2
1-Mar 12 -2
2-Mar 12 -2
3-Mar 12 -2
4-Mar 12 -2
5-Mar 13 -2
6-Mar 13 -2
7-Mar 13 -2
8-Mar 13 -2
9-Mar 13 -2
10-Mar 13 -2
11-Mar 13 -2
12-Mar 13 -2
13-Mar 13 -1
14-Mar 14 -1
15-Mar 14 -1
16-Mar 14 -1
17-Mar 14 -1
18-Mar 14 -1
19-Mar 14 -1
20-Mar 15 -1
21-Mar 15 -1
22-Mar 15 0
23-Mar 15 0
24-Mar 15 0
25-Mar 15 0
26-Mar 16 0
27-Mar 16 0
28-Mar 16 1
29-Mar 16 1
30-Mar 16 1
31-Mar 17 1
1-Apr 17 2
2-Apr 17 2
3-Apr 17 2
4-Apr 17 2
5-Apr 17 2
6-Apr 18 2
7-Apr 18 3
8-Apr 18 3
9-Apr 18 3
10-Apr 18 3
11-Apr 18 3
12-Apr 19 4
13-Apr 19 4
14-Apr 19 4
15-Apr 19 4
16-Apr 20 4
17-Apr 20 4
18-Apr 20 5
19-Apr 20 5
20-Apr 21 5
21-Apr 21 6
22-Apr 21 6
23-Apr 22 7
24-Apr 22 7
25-Apr 22 7
26-Apr 23 7
27-Apr 23 8
28-Apr 23 8
29-Apr 23 8
30-Apr 24 9
1-May 24 9
2-May 24 10
3-May 24 10
4-May 25 11
5-May 25 11
6-May 25 11
7-May 26 12
8-May 26 12
9-May 26 12
10-May 27 13
11-May 27 13
12-May 27 13
13-May 28 14
14-May 28 14
15-May 28 14
16-May 28 14
17-May 29 15
18-May 29 15
19-May 29 15
20-May 30 16
21-May 30 16
22-May 30 16
23-May 31 17
24-May 31 17
25-May 31 17
26-May 32 18
27-May 32 18
28-May 32 18
29-May 33 19
30-May 33 19
31-May 33 19
1-Jun 34 20
2-Jun 34 20
3-Jun 34 20
4-Jun 35 21
5-Jun 35 21
6-Jun 35 22
7-Jun 36 22
8-Jun 36 22
9-Jun 37 23
10-Jun 37 23
11-Jun 37 23
12-Jun 38 24
13-Jun 38 24
14-Jun 38 24
15-Jun 38 25
16-Jun 39 25
17-Jun 39 25
18-Jun 39 26
19-Jun 40 26
20-Jun 40 26
21-Jun 40 26
22-Jun 41 27
23-Jun 41 27
24-Jun 41 27
25-Jun 41 27
26-Jun 42 28
27-Jun 42 28
28-Jun 42 28
29-Jun 43 29
30-Jun 43 29
1-Jul 44 29
2-Jul 44 30
3-Jul 44 30
4-Jul 45 30
5-Jul 45 31
6-Jul 45 31
7-Jul 45 31
8-Jul 46 32
9-Jul 46 32
10-Jul 46 32
11-Jul 47 33
12-Jul 47 33
13-Jul 47 33
14-Jul 47 34
15-Jul 48 34
16-Jul 48 34
17-Jul 48 35
18-Jul 48 35
19-Jul 49 36
20-Jul 49 36
21-Jul 49 36
22-Jul 49 36
23-Jul 49 36
24-Jul 50 36
25-Jul 50 36
26-Jul 50 36
27-Jul 50 36
28-Jul 50 36
29-Jul 50 36
30-Jul 50 36
31-Jul 50 36
1-Aug 51 35
2-Aug 51 35
3-Aug 51 35
4-Aug 50 35
5-Aug 50 35
6-Aug 50 35
7-Aug 50 35
8-Aug 50 35
9-Aug 50 35
10-Aug 50 35
11-Aug 50 34
12-Aug 49 34
13-Aug 49 34
14-Aug 49 34
15-Aug 49 34
16-Aug 49 33
17-Aug 48 33
18-Aug 48 33
19-Aug 48 33
20-Aug 47 32
21-Aug 47 32
22-Aug 47 32
23-Aug 47 31
24-Aug 46 31
25-Aug 46 31
26-Aug 46 31
27-Aug 45 30
28-Aug 45 30
29-Aug 45 30
30-Aug 44 29
31-Aug 44 29
1-Sep 44 29
2-Sep 43 28
3-Sep 43 28
4-Sep 43 28
5-Sep 43 28
6-Sep 42 27
7-Sep 42 27
8-Sep 42 27
9-Sep 41 26
10-Sep 41 26
11-Sep 41 26
12-Sep 41 25
13-Sep 40 25
14-Sep 40 25
15-Sep 40 25
16-Sep 39 24
17-Sep 39 24
18-Sep 39 24
19-Sep 38 23
20-Sep 38 23
21-Sep 38 23
22-Sep 37 22
23-Sep 37 22
24-Sep 36 22
25-Sep 36 21
26-Sep 36 21
27-Sep 35 21
28-Sep 35 21
29-Sep 34 20
30-Sep 34 20
1-Oct 34 19
2-Oct 34 19
3-Oct 33 19
4-Oct 33 19
5-Oct 33 18
6-Oct 32 18
7-Oct 32 18
8-Oct 32 17
9-Oct 31 17
10-Oct 31 16
11-Oct 31 16
12-Oct 30 16
13-Oct 30 16
14-Oct 29 15
15-Oct 29 15
16-Oct 29 15
17-Oct 28 15
18-Oct 28 14
19-Oct 27 14
20-Oct 27 13
21-Oct 26 12
22-Oct 26 12
23-Oct 26 11
24-Oct 25 11
25-Oct 25 11
26-Oct 24 10
27-Oct 24 10
28-Oct 24 9
29-Oct 23 9
30-Oct 23 9
31-Oct 22 8
1-Nov 22 8
2-Nov 21 7
3-Nov 21 7
4-Nov 20 6
5-Nov 20 6
6-Nov 20 6
7-Nov 19 6
8-Nov 19 5
9-Nov 18 5
10-Nov 18 5
11-Nov 17 5
12-Nov 17 5
13-Nov 16 4
14-Nov 16 4
15-Nov 16 4
16-Nov 15 4
17-Nov 15 4
18-Nov 15 3
19-Nov 15 3
20-Nov 14 3
21-Nov 14 3
22-Nov 14 3
23-Nov 13 2
24-Nov 13 2
25-Nov 13 2
26-Nov 13 2
27-Nov 13 1
28-Nov 12 1
29-Nov 12 1
30-Nov 12 1
1-Dec 12 0
2-Dec 12 0
3-Dec 12 0
4-Dec 12 -1
5-Dec 12 -1
6-Dec 12 -2
7-Dec 11 -2
8-Dec 11 -2
9-Dec 11 -3
10-Dec 11 -3
11-Dec 11 -3
12-Dec 11 -3
13-Dec 11 -3
14-Dec 11 -3
15-Dec 11 -3
16-Dec 11 -3
17-Dec 11 -3
18-Dec 11 -3
19-Dec 10 -3
20-Dec 10 -3
21-Dec 10 -3
22-Dec 10 -3
23-Dec 10 -3
24-Dec 10 -3
25-Dec 10 -3
26-Dec 10 -3
27-Dec 10 -3
28-Dec 10 -3
29-Dec 10 -3
30-Dec 9 -3
31-Dec 9 -3

Here are the average monthly temperatures and data for those interested:
Pikes.PNG
Pikes.PNG (78.14 KiB) Viewed 874 times
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JROSKA
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Re: Pikes Peak temperatures

Post by JROSKA »

So here’s the big question. If I get my 9 other remaining 14er peaks this summer, what date should I choose for my Pike’s Peak finisher in 2024? Statistically, it looks like early August.
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Re: Pikes Peak temperatures

Post by colorado yooper »

JROSKA wrote: Wed Jun 07, 2023 9:50 pm So here’s the big question. If I get my 9 other remaining 14er peaks this summer, what date should I choose for my Pike’s Peak finisher in 2024? Statistically, it looks like early August.
Early August is pretty rainy. September is much nicer. And it gives you another month to finish!
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Scott P
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Re: Pikes Peak temperatures

Post by Scott P »

colorado yooper wrote: Wed Jun 07, 2023 10:15 pm
JROSKA wrote: Wed Jun 07, 2023 9:50 pm So here’s the big question. If I get my 9 other remaining 14er peaks this summer, what date should I choose for my Pike’s Peak finisher in 2024? Statistically, it looks like early August.
Early August is pretty rainy. September is much nicer. And it gives you another month to finish!
Yes. August has about twice the amount of precipitation as September. August also has 28 days of precip on average vs. September's 15.
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Re: Pikes Peak temperatures

Post by Cygnus X1 »

How many years of data Scott?
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Re: Pikes Peak temperatures

Post by aholle88 »

The snow statistic is interesting. Same # days of snow in Jan-March as there is from July-Sept. I question those summer months having that many days of snow as an average. The winter makes sense, Pikes is typically pretty dry until April/May. The summer months usually see a couple days of snow here and there but 7-9 days seems a bit high. Does graupel count as snow or hail?
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Re: Pikes Peak temperatures

Post by Scott P »

Cygnus X1 wrote: Thu Jun 08, 2023 7:24 am How many years of data Scott?
About 15 1/2 was all that was available.so some smoothing of the curve was required.

There has been another weather station operated by the Cog Railroad as well, but they don't archive the data (at least as far as I know).

https://inclinebasecamp.com/ManitouWeather.html
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Re: Pikes Peak temperatures

Post by Scott P »

aholle88 wrote: Thu Jun 08, 2023 7:48 amDoes graupel count as snow or hail?
Hail.

The weather observations are meticulously detailed (documenting the weather was the only job the weather observers had) so they should be accurate. A lot of the snow that falls in summer doesn't stick.
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Re: Pikes Peak temperatures

Post by aholle88 »

Scott P wrote: Thu Jun 08, 2023 7:58 am
aholle88 wrote: Thu Jun 08, 2023 7:48 amDoes graupel count as snow or hail?
Hail.

The weather observations are meticulously detailed (documenting the weather was the only job the weather observers had) so they should be accurate. A lot of the snow that falls in summer doesn't stick.
Hail makes the most sense. I don't disagree with the numbers, just surprising and curious to how they track what counts as snow. Maybe they are just counting if snowflakes are falling from the sky versus actually accumulating? I could see that number being accurate. Does not seem possible for 7-9 days where there's a dusting to an inch or more, but again, could be wrong.
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Re: Pikes Peak temperatures

Post by Scott P »

aholle88 wrote: Thu Jun 08, 2023 3:10 pm Maybe they are just counting if snowflakes are falling from the sky versus actually accumulating?
I'd imagine that they would count that, but I cant say for sure. Observations only say "snow". I don't have a problem believing the stats. The people that took the readings lived on the summit year round 24/7. Even if they only counted measurable snow, anything the rounds to at least 0.1 inches counts as measurable (anything below that is trace amounts).

Pikes Peak is colder in July and August than Denver is in March and November (the snowiest months in Denver) but doesn't have the extremes on either end that Denver has.

August had 28 days of precip so that would mean that about 1/3 of the precip days had some snow. If it was only a very light dusting or didn't stick to the ground, you wouldn't be able to see if from the lowlands.

It snows on the high peaks more often in summer than people realize. I work a lot in the mountains (especially in summer) and do a lot of ni ght climbs too. I have seen it snow many times in the summer.
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