Unusual Grand Junction Weather? Not Really
It sure seems like we are experiencing some unusually nice weather in the Grand Valley as we get into December, but it's really not odd at all.
By the time we get to December, it seems like we are normally dreaming of a white Christmas, cranking up the heat, and hoping for a soon return to spring. However, the reality is, the Grand Valley historically is a great place to be in December. According to U.S. Climate Data, the average high temperature in Grand Junction in December is 38 degrees and temperatures in the 40s aren't unusual at all. That explains why many of us are typically playing golf well into December.
While weather forecasts can sometimes dramatically and quickly change, at last check, the National Weather Service was calling for high temperatures around 50 degrees beginning on Saturday and continuing on until at least Wednesday of next week. Seems too good to be true for all of us who are lovers of warm weather in the Grand Valley. But, if we look back at recent years, we see that fairly nice weather in December is not all that unusual.
I consulted some weather data from Weather Underground and this is what I discovered. In 2018 and 2019, Grand Junction had zero December days when the temperature reached at least 50. However, in those two years, there was a total of 29 days of temperatures in the 40s.
If we go back to 2017, we had four days in the 50s and an unbelievable 25 days when it was at least in the 40s. We had two days in 2016 that reached 50 with 12 days in the 40s.
To find the last cold December in western Colorado, we'd have to go back to 2015 when we had no 50-degree weather, only 8 days in the 40s, and 10 days in the month where the temperature failed to reach even 30 degrees. Thankfully, that isn't the norm.
I know the skiers and snowboarders are ready for the cold and snow - and it's on the way. But, for now, we shall look forward to some blessed 50s and to losing a few more golf balls before Old Man Winter arrives later this month. It's another reminder of how blessed we are to be living in western Colorado.