The Denver Weather Myth

“I heard it’s cold.”

That was Tamar Bates response when asked what he knew about Denver.

The former Mizzou and Indiana University guard had just signed with the Denver Nuggets to begin his professional career.

Now, I absolutely love Tamar. He played for both my alma mater (Go Hoosiers) and my favorite team growing up (MIZ!). Tough. Hard-nosed. Lights-out from three.

But cold? Really?

Denver doesn’t deserve its cold-weather reputation.

Why? Because well, Denver isn’t really that cold.

And here’s the best part: Bates grew up in Kansas City. Yes, Kansas City!

A city that’s actually colder, cloudier and grayer than Denver in the winter.

It appears the myth of Denver being cold needs to be addressed.

Because the facts? They tell a different story.

Let’s dive in.

***

Mountains. Skiing. Snow-covered highways.

That’s what people picture when they think of Denver.

But that’s not Denver.

That’s Breckenridge. Or Vail. Or any other ski town 80+ miles west of the city and 3,000+ feet higher in elevation.

This is Denver (average temperature highs and lows by month):

Despite its cold reputation, Denver has warmer winter highs than Kansas City – and many other Midwest cities, such as Indianapolis and St. Louis.

Snow? Yes, it snows here quite a bit each year:

• Denver: 55”

• Kansas City: 18”

• Indianapolis: 25”

• St. Louis: 16”

But here’s the thing: it doesn’t stay for long. Thanks to dry air, lots of sunshine and warm winds – the snow usually melts within 24-48 hours.

It’s common for it to snow four inches in Denver on Saturday and for it to have disappeared by Monday.

I spent 25+ years in the Midwest and that snow? It lingers. Forever. It refreezes and turns into crust you drive over for three weeks.

And yes, the dry air makes a huge difference. I just learned this yesterday, so here’s the 6^th-grade explanation:

• Humid air (like in St. Louis or Indianapolis) is wet. It pulls heat off your body faster, so you feel colder.

• Dry air (in Denver) doesn’t. It lets you hold on to your warmth.

That’s why 35 degrees in Denver feels warmer than 35 degrees in Indianapolis.

[Side note: Wait, if humid air makes you colder in the winter, why does it make you hotter in the summer? Good question. In winter, humid air pulls heat off your body. In summer, it traps heat by preventing sweat from evaporating.

So in Denver? You get cold temps that don’t feel as cold and warm temps that don’t feel as warm.]

Plus, Denver gets a ton of sun.

A TON.

I’m sad to report that the 300 days of sunshine slogan is a bit exaggerated, but according to my friends at Weather.com, Denver averages 245 sunny days per year. Compare that to:

• Kansas City: 215

• St. Louis: 202

• Indianapolis: 186

That’s SIXTY (60!) more sunny days than Indianapolis – two more whole months of warmth, good energy and snow-melting power!

A 40-degree afternoon in Denver with sun and dry air feels nothing like a damp, gray 40-degree day in St. Louis or Chicago.

Cold?

Denver? No, not really.

Let’s not forget what real cold looks like.

***

Here’s what cold really is. Let’s see how Denver stacks up:

Denver, quite simply, doesn’t belong in the cold-weather city conversation.

More sunshine. Less wind chill. Snow that’s gone before you remember to shovel.

So, Denver’s weather twin? Ok, it’s not exactly Scottsdale, but it’s definitely not Kansas City, Minneapolis – or even Chicago.

It’s Albuquerque. Or Reno. Or Salt Lake City.

Sunny. Dry air. High elevation. Big day-to-night temperature swings. Snow that shows up and quickly melts away.

Yep, it’s true. Denver is more like a Southwest city with a ski pass than a Midwest one with altitude.

***

Tamar ended his response with this:

“…I’ve got plenty of coats”.

Well Tamar, I think one or two will be plenty.

Save the rest for your road games against the Bulls, Celtics and Timberwolves – heck, even the Pacers.