"Over 300 days of sun per year"

Many Colorado websites, tourist brochures and real estate ads trumpet the claim that the area being touted gets "over 300 days of sunshine a year." And if you count partly sunny days, this is certainly true of much of the state, including South Park.

Some of our most beautiful days are in the winter, following a snowstorm, when the sun reflects off the new snow; those who want to spend time outdoors need to wear sunglasses. The sky will be a lovely blue, often with no clouds at all - jet trails are the only white in the sky.

During the summer, at least in the mountainous parts of the state, clouds generally do move in some time in the afternoon. In the high country there may be a thunderstorm, sometimes dropping sleet or even snow in addition to rain. But then the storm moves on, and the sun comes back out of hiding. It is something to be careful about, though, if you are hiking in the mountains - lightning strikes are nothing to laugh at!

Ground Blizzards and Whiteouts

South Park doesn't get as much snow as Summit County to the north, but we often get strong winds which can blow snow around and create what is called a "ground blizzard", causing whiteout conditions. Wind gusts up to 50 mph are not uncommon, although 20-30 mph gusts are more likely.

US Hwy 285, which connects Denver with Santa Fe, runs through South Park, and is often closed when these conditions exist. Blowing snow can not only make it difficult or impossible to see what is ahead; it can also cause drifting on the highway and very icy conditions. When this happens, semi-trailers, cars and other trucks can be blown over or slide into other vehicles.

Variable warning signs are changed to indicate the closure, and gates are lowered at Kenosha Pass (east) and Fairplay (west).

Geography of South Park

South Park is located southwest of Denver and northwest of Colorado Springs. It is about 1000 square miles of grasslands and hills surrounded by mountain ranges and accessed by four main mountain passes: Kenosha Pass on US 285 in the northeast, Wilkerson Pass on US 24 in the southeast, Hoosier Pass on Colorado 9 in the northwest and Trout Creek Pass on US 24/285 in the west. In addition there are passes which are mostly accessible only by 4-wheel drive vehicles, and which are generally closed in the winter: Mosquito and Weston in the west and Boreas Pass in the north.

The mountains surrounding South Park are the source for the waters of the Middle Fork of the South Platte River, which flows south through SP, then east through Twelve Mile Canyon, then north and east to Denver and finally north to Nebraska where it joins the North Platte to form the Platte River.

My South Park

South Park is a beautiful place, with lots of wonderful people, including a larger-than-average share of interesting characters. As I explore it for myself, I hope to share what I learn with the world!