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Rio Grande National Forest

Coordinates: 37°44′24″N 106°50′07″W / 37.74°N 106.8352°W / 37.74; -106.8352
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Rio Grande National Forest
Stony Pass jeep road, east of Silverton, Colorado, along an old wagon road over Stony Pass (12,588 feet), at the edge of the Weminuche Wilderness
Map
LocationColorado, United States
Nearest cityAlamosa, CO
Coordinates37°44′24″N 106°50′07″W / 37.74°N 106.8352°W / 37.74; -106.8352
Area1,860,000 acres (7,500 km2)
EstablishedJuly 1, 1908
Governing bodyU.S. Forest Service
WebsiteRio Grande National Forest

Rio Grande National Forest is a 1.86 million-acre (7,530 km2) [1] U.S. National Forest located in southwestern Colorado. The forest encompasses the San Luis Valley, which is the world's largest agricultural alpine valley, as well as one of the world's largest high deserts located around mountains. The Rio Grande rises in the forest, and the Continental Divide runs along most of its western border.[1] The forest lies in parts of nine counties. In descending order of land area within the forest they are Saguache, Mineral, Conejos, Rio Grande, Hinsdale, San Juan, Alamosa, Archuleta, and Custer counties. Forest headquarters are currently located in Monte Vista, Colorado, but plan to move to Del Norte.[2] There are local ranger district offices in Del Norte, La Jara, and Saguache.[3]

Wilderness areas

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Mountains in Rio Grande National Forest in September 2013
The Continental Divide of the Americas separates the Rio Grande National Forest and the San Juan National Forest.

There are four officially designated wilderness areas lying within Rio Grande National Forest that are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. All of them extend partially into neighboring National Forests, and one of these also onto National Park Service land (as indicated).

Climate

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According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Rio Grande Reservoir has a warm-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded at Rio Grande Reservoir was 89 °F (31.7 °C) on July 6, 1989 and July 14, 2003, while the coldest temperature recorded was −46 °F (−43.3 °C) on December 8, 1978.[4]

Climate data for Rio Grande Reservoir, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1977–2022
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 56
(13) 		58
(14) 		65
(18) 		71
(22) 		82
(28) 		87
(31) 		89
(32) 		87
(31) 		84
(29) 		84
(29) 		66
(19) 		60
(16) 		89
(32)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 46.6
(8.1) 		50.1
(10.1) 		56.6
(13.7) 		63.6
(17.6) 		72.1
(22.3) 		80.7
(27.1) 		84.2
(29.0) 		81.4
(27.4) 		78.4
(25.8) 		71.8
(22.1) 		58.3
(14.6) 		47.9
(8.8) 		84.9
(29.4)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 34.4
(1.3) 		36.5
(2.5) 		42.9
(6.1) 		49.8
(9.9) 		59.9
(15.5) 		70.8
(21.6) 		75.6
(24.2) 		73.2
(22.9) 		68.0
(20.0) 		57.6
(14.2) 		43.9
(6.6) 		33.8
(1.0) 		53.9
(12.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 15.2
(−9.3) 		17.3
(−8.2) 		25.8
(−3.4) 		34.8
(1.6) 		44.7
(7.1) 		53.4
(11.9) 		59.0
(15.0) 		57.0
(13.9) 		51.3
(10.7) 		41.5
(5.3) 		27.9
(−2.3) 		15.4
(−9.2) 		36.9
(2.8)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) −4.0
(−20.0) 		−2.0
(−18.9) 		8.6
(−13.0) 		19.8
(−6.8) 		29.5
(−1.4) 		36.1
(2.3) 		42.4
(5.8) 		40.9
(4.9) 		34.6
(1.4) 		25.4
(−3.7) 		11.8
(−11.2) 		−2.9
(−19.4) 		20.0
(−6.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −22.7
(−30.4) 		−19.2
(−28.4) 		−10.5
(−23.6) 		3.7
(−15.7) 		18.1
(−7.7) 		28.0
(−2.2) 		35.2
(1.8) 		33.5
(0.8) 		23.2
(−4.9) 		11.2
(−11.6) 		−5.8
(−21.0) 		−20.1
(−28.9) 		−25.4
(−31.9)
Record low °F (°C) −42
(−41) 		−40
(−40) 		−31
(−35) 		−28
(−33) 		0
(−18) 		14
(−10) 		24
(−4) 		19
(−7) 		10
(−12) 		−4
(−20) 		−24
(−31) 		−46
(−43) 		−46
(−43)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.22
(31) 		1.36
(35) 		1.37
(35) 		1.33
(34) 		1.12
(28) 		0.84
(21) 		2.21
(56) 		2.93
(74) 		2.49
(63) 		2.20
(56) 		1.38
(35) 		1.15
(29) 		19.60
(498)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 19.3
(49) 		18.8
(48) 		15.3
(39) 		14.5
(37) 		3.7
(9.4) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0.5
(1.3) 		7.7
(20) 		15.1
(38) 		12.6
(32) 		107.7
(274.21)
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) 18.3
(46) 		18.7
(47) 		15.7
(40) 		10.0
(25) 		2.5
(6.4) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.4
(1.0) 		3.8
(9.7) 		9.3
(24) 		14.2
(36) 		25.8
(66)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 3.8 4.9 5.1 6.4 5.7 4.2 11.0 13.1 9.0 6.1 4.3 3.7 77.3
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 3.3 4.8 3.8 5.3 1.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 2.2 3.5 3.3 27.6
Source 1: NOAA[5]
Source 2: National Weather Service[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b USDA Forest Service, Rio Grande National Forest
  2. ^ Rio Grande National Forest announces plans for new headquarters in Del Norte
  3. ^ USFS Ranger Districts by State
  4. ^ a b "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Grand Junction". National Weather Service. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  5. ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Rio Grande RSVR, CO". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
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