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Alamosa, Colorado
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Located in south-central Colorado, Alamosa is a town that is the county seat and the
most populous municipality of Alamosa County, Colorado. The town's population was
9,806 at the 2020 United States Census. The Rio Grande River runs through the east
side of town, and Alamosa is nestled in the heart of the San Luis Valley as the commercial center of the Valley,
the largest intermountain valley in the world. Alamosa also the home of Adams State University.
The town was established by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and quickly became an important rail center.
Alamosa was incorporated on August 12, 1878, after being officially named and established
just a few months earlier in May of 1878. It is thought to be named for the cottonwood trees that inhabit the banks of the Rio Grande, as “alamosa” means cottonwood in Spanish. The town's elevation is at 7,543 feet (2,299
meters).
This area of Colorado was originally inhabited by the Clovis and Folsom tribes
over 11,000 years ago.
Today, Alamosa is a tourist town with many nearby attractions, including the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
to its north, Colorado Gators Reptile Park, and the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad. The town hosts "Summer Fest on the Rio" which occurs the first weekend in June, the Early Iron car show over the Labor Day weekend, and "Weekends on the Rio" on various Sundays throughout the summer
Like most of Colorado, Alamosa has a sunny climate, but it can get very cold
here.
With a cold desert climate, in winter it will on some nights record one of the coldest temperatures in the
country. The altitude and dryness of the air cause day-night temperature differences to be severe year-round. Alamosa’s nighttime temperatures account for it being listed as the coldest city in the contiguous United States, with a record average of 227 nights per year with a minimum temperature of 32°F (0°C) or less, and 48.7 nights with
the low below 0°F (−17.8°C). On July 10, 2020, Alamosa made weather history
(again!) by measuring a record low temperature 37°F (2.8°C) and a record high temperature 92°F (33.3°C)
in the same day, and in less than 12 hours. This event is rare for most places to
happen, although it does take place every so often in the U.S. West. Yet it isn't
as rare to happen in Alamosa, as this last time it took place here was the fifth time
it happened in a 50 year timespan in this town.
The highest temperature ever here was 96°F (36°C)
on July 5, 1989, while the coldest reading was −50°F (−46°C), occurring on January 28, 1948.
This was the third coldest temperature reading ever in Colorado, with the
coldest being -61°F (-52°C) Maybell on February 1, 1985. Alamosa doesn't see
anywhere near as much snow as the nearby mountains and foothills see annually, as it
averages just 29 inches (71 cm), which rates it in the bottom 10 towns in
Colorado for annual snowfall. Yet with that noted, it usually sees a snowpack
for the entire winter, thanks to the very cold nights it experiences. So it
seems like it gets a fair amount of snow each season, even if it doesn't, going
by Colorado snow averages!
(cams from
CDOT)
Hwys 160/285 off Main St
(looking south) |
Highway 160
(looking west) |
US 160 at West Ave, Alamosa, Colorado
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