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North Clear Creek Falls

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Waterfall in Hinsdale County, Colorado
North Clear Creek Falls
The falls in autumn, 2018
North Clear Creek Falls is located in ColoradoNorth Clear Creek Falls
LocationHinsdale County, Colorado
Coordinates37°50′57″N 107°9′1.18″W / 37.84917°N 107.1503278°W / 37.84917; -107.1503278
Typesegmented, horsetail
Elevation10,013 feet (3,052 meters)
Number of drops1
WatercourseNorth Clear Creek

North Clear Creek Falls is a waterfall in Hinsdale County, Colorado, located within the Rio Grande National Forest. North Clear Creek is a tributary of the Rio Grande. The waterfall flows over a deck of Nelson Mountain tuff, solidified ash from a volcano in the San Juan volcanic field that erupted about 27 million years ago.

Overlook

An overlook area with a parking lot and a short trail is located about a half-mile from Colorado State Highway 149 on a paved county road. Visitors can observe and photograph the waterfall from the overlook site. It features picnic tables and a vault toilet. The site is wheelchair accessible and features a trail to the top of a nearby bluff.

Climate

The Santa Maria Reservoir weather station is roughly 3 miles (4.83 km) south of North Clear Creek Falls. Santa Maria Reservoir has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc).

Climate data for Santa Maria Reservoir, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 2006-2020 snowfall: 9687ft (2953m)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 55
(13) 		56
(13) 		60
(16) 		67
(19) 		73
(23) 		84
(29) 		83
(28) 		80
(27) 		79
(26) 		73
(23) 		63
(17) 		53
(12) 		84
(29)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 48
(9) 		50
(10) 		54
(12) 		61
(16) 		68
(20) 		78
(26) 		79
(26) 		76
(24) 		74
(23) 		67
(19) 		59
(15) 		48
(9) 		79
(26)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 34.8
(1.6) 		36.4
(2.4) 		41.8
(5.4) 		47.6
(8.7) 		57.9
(14.4) 		68.1
(20.1) 		72.5
(22.5) 		69.7
(20.9) 		64.3
(17.9) 		54.8
(12.7) 		42.9
(6.1) 		33.8
(1.0) 		52.0
(11.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 18.3
(−7.6) 		19.9
(−6.7) 		26.8
(−2.9) 		33.2
(0.7) 		42.3
(5.7) 		51.1
(10.6) 		56.4
(13.6) 		54.3
(12.4) 		48.5
(9.2) 		38.7
(3.7) 		28.0
(−2.2) 		18.0
(−7.8) 		36.3
(2.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 1.7
(−16.8) 		3.4
(−15.9) 		11.7
(−11.3) 		18.8
(−7.3) 		26.6
(−3.0) 		34.1
(1.2) 		40.2
(4.6) 		38.8
(3.8) 		32.6
(0.3) 		22.6
(−5.2) 		13.1
(−10.5) 		2.1
(−16.6) 		20.5
(−6.4)
Mean minimum °F (°C) −16
(−27) 		−15
(−26) 		−7
(−22) 		5
(−15) 		15
(−9) 		25
(−4) 		33
(1) 		32
(0) 		22
(−6) 		8
(−13) 		−5
(−21) 		−16
(−27) 		−19
(−28)
Record low °F (°C) −29
(−34) 		−20
(−29) 		−13
(−25) 		−2
(−19) 		4
(−16) 		21
(−6) 		27
(−3) 		28
(−2) 		14
(−10) 		−5
(−21) 		−16
(−27) 		−23
(−31) 		−29
(−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.09
(28) 		1.14
(29) 		1.05
(27) 		1.55
(39) 		1.02
(26) 		0.83
(21) 		2.31
(59) 		2.97
(75) 		2.13
(54) 		1.51
(38) 		0.91
(23) 		1.05
(27) 		17.56
(446)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 15.3
(39) 		16.1
(41) 		14.6
(37) 		10.3
(26) 		5.3
(13) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		trace 1.2
(3.0) 		5.6
(14) 		12.0
(30) 		20.0
(51) 		100.4
(254)
Source 1: NOAA
Source 2: XMACIS (snowfall, records & monthly max/mins)

References

  1. "North Clear Creek Falls". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. "North Clear Creek Falls". World of waterfalls. Retrieved 2018-11-01.
  3. Blair, Rob (2011). The eastern San Juan Mountains : their geology, ecology, and human history. Boulder, Colo: University Press of Colorado Mountain Studies Institute/San Juan Collaboratory. ISBN 978-1-60732-084-5. OCLC 758823260.
  4. "North Clear Creek Falls Observation Site". Rio Grande National Forest. United States. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2018-11-01.
  5. "North Clear Creek Falls Overlook". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  6. "Santa Maria Reservoir, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  7. "xmACIS". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
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