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A very important requirement for a healthy house is adequate heat for comfortable living. To achieve that result, one must design the heating system to provide adequate heat for the climate. To that end, here are the annual degree day values for a variety of locations in Colorado.

Degree Day Values for Colorado Locations

Location Order			Degree-Day Order
Location	Degree-Day	Elevation	Location	Degree-Day	Elevation
Akron	6611	4663	Canon City	4836	5343
Alamosa	8717	7536	Las Animas	5146	3891
Altenbern	7102		John Martin	5148	3814
Antero Res	11033		Pallisade	5195	4780
Aspen	8850	7928	Gateway	5267
Bailey	8353	7733	La Junta	5289	4196
Blanca	8759		Rocky Ford	5339	4178
Bonny Dam	6172	3647	Lamar	5350	3617
Boulder	5460	5445	Boulder	5460	5445
Briggsdale	6803		Pueblo	5465	4639
Buena Vista	7734	7954	Holly	5478	3393
Burlington	5743	4165	Walsenberg	5504	6221
Byers	6369	5200	Eads	5512	4215
Canon City	4836	5343	Trinidad	5544	5746
Carbondale	7320	6200	Grand Junction	5683	4855
Caribou Ranch	8991		Uravan	5726
Castle Rock	6932		Burlington	5743	4165
Center	8746	7683	Wray	5751	3575
Cheesman	7820		Cheyenne Wells	5806	4259
Cherry Creek	6180	5647	Colorado Nat M	5837	5280
Cheyenne Wells	5806	4259	Stratton	5869	4334
Cimarron	8719		Lakewood	5883	5637
Climax	12684		Yuma	5890
Coal Creek	8992		Denver	6014	5283
Cochetopa	7363		Stapleton	6020
Colorado Nat M	5837	5280	Mesa Verde	6039	7070
Colorado Spr	6346	6145	Fruita	6092	4507
Cortez	6350	6177	Holyoke	6112	3746
Craig	8250	6184	Bonny Dam	6172	3647
Crested Butte	10834	8855	Cherry Creek	6180	5647
Del Norte	7992	7884	Sedgwick	6221
Denver	6014	5283	Kassler	6243
Dillon	11218		Flagler	6280	9017
Dinosaur	7250		Ordway	6326
Durango	6848	6550	Colorado Spr	6346	6145
Eads	5512	4215	Paonia	6350
Eagle	8377	6500	Cortez	6350	6177
Estes Park	7966	7497	Byers	6369	5200
Evergreen	8094		Kit Carson	6372
Flagler	6280		Montrose	6383
Fort Collins	6483	5001	Longmont	6432	4950
Fort Lewis	8074		Greeley	6442	4653
Fort Morgan	6520	4321	Julesberg	6447
Fruita	6092	4507	Fort Collins	6483	5001
Gateway	5267		Fort Morgan	6520	4321
Glenwood Spr	6988	5850	Parker	6598	6300
Grand Junction	5683	4855	Akron	6611	4663
Grand Lake	10888	8600	Sterling	6614	3939
Grant	9777		Waterdale	6648
Great Sand Dune	7887		New Raymer	6672
Greeley	6442	4653	Leroy	6683
Green Mountain	9000	7740	Briggsdale	6803
Gunnison	10122	7664	Durango	6848	6550
Hayden	8583	6300	Yellow Jacket	6889
Hermit	11375		Castle Rock	6932
Holly	5478	3393	Rifle	6945	5400
Holyoke	6112	3746	Rye	6987	6790
Idaho Springs	7871		Glenwood Spr	6988	5850
John Martin	5148	3814	Altenbern	7102
Julesberg	6447		Rush	7222
Kassler	6243		Dinosaur	7250
Kit Carson	6372		Carbondale	7320	6200
Kremmling	10095		Salida	7355
La Junta	5289	4196	Cochetopa	7363
Lake City	9569		Northdale	7401
Lake George	10022		Rangely	7448	5216
Lakewood	5883	5637	Ouray	7639
Lamar	5350	3617	Buena Vista	7734	7954
Las Animas	5146	3891	Norwood	7737	7017
Leadville	10600	10430	Cheesman	7820
Leroy	6683		Idaho Springs	7871
Longmont	6432	4950	Great Sand Dune	7887
Manasa	8375		Estes Park	7966	7497
Maybell	8765		Del Norte	7992	7884
Meridith	9922		Fort Lewis	8074
Mesa Verde	6039	7070	Evergreen	8094
Monte Vista	8717	7536	Vallecito Dam	8151	7650
Montrose	6383		Craig	8250	6184
Nederland	9389	8233	Saguache	8279	7697
New Raymer	6672		Westcliffe	8327	7860
Northdale	7401		Bailey	8353	7733
Norwood	7737	7017	Pagosa Spr	8367	7238
Ordway	6326		Manasa	8375
Ouray	7639		Eagle	8377	6500
Pagosa Spr	8367	7238	Hayden	8583	6300
Pallisade	5195	4780	Alamosa	8717	7536
Paonia	6350		Monte Vista	8717	7536
Parker	6598	6300	Cimarron	8719
Pueblo	5465	4639	Center	8746	7683
Rangely	7448	5216	Blanca	8759
Rico	9585		Maybell	8765
Rifle	6945	5400	Aspen	8850	7928
Rocky Ford	5339	4178	Caribou Ranch	8991
Rush	7222		Coal Creek	8992
Ruxton Park	10778		Green Mountain	9000	7740
Rye	6987	6790	Telluride	9164	8756
Saguache	8279	7697	Yampa	9316
Salida	7355		Nederland	9389	8233
Sedgwick	6221		Lake City	9569
Silverthorne	10833		Rico	9585
Silverton	10661	9322	Steamboat Spr	9595	6770
Spicer	10469		Grant	9777
Stapleton	6020		Meridith	9922
Steamboat Spr	9595	6770	Lake George	10022
Sterling	6614	3939	Kremmling	10095
Stratton	5869	4334	Gunnison	10122	7664
Taylor Park	12006		Walden	10466	8099
Telluride	9164	8756	Spicer	10469
Trinidad	5544	5746	Leadville	10600	10430
Twin Lakes	10896		Silverton	10661	9322
Uravan	5726		Ruxton Park	10778
Vallecito Dam	8151	7650	Silverthorne	10833
Walden	10466	8099	Crested Butte	10834	8855
Walsenberg	5504	6221	Grand Lake	10888	8600
Waterdale	6648		Twin Lakes	10896
Westcliffe	8327	7860	Antero Res	11033
Wolf Creek	11169		Wolf Creek	11169
Wray	5751	3575	Dillon	11218	9017
Yampa	9316		Hermit	11375
Yellow Jacket	6889		Taylor Park	12006
Yuma	5890		Climax	12684

The annual degree-day value is based on the empirical observation that the heat requirement for a dwelling is proportional to the difference between the daily average temperature and a base temperature of 65 degrees (fahrenheit). For example, if the high temperature for a day was 70 degrees and the low temperature was 30, the average is 50 degrees which is 15 degrees below the base temperature. I.e., 65 - (70 + 50)/2. Of course, an average temperature for the day above 65 degrees is not counted. The annual value is the sum over the year.

References - This data has been obtained from several sources, including -

• Colorado Energy; http://www.coloradoenergy.org/
• SBICouncil; http://www.sbicouncil.org/
• Western U. S. Climate Center; http://www.wrcc.sage.dri.edu/

Longitudinal or Latitudinal Thermal Gradient

• One degree Fahrenheit per 5.5 degrees of latitude, or One degree Celsius per 10.0 degrees of latitude.

Vertical or Elevation Thermal Gradient

• One degree Fahrenheit per 275 feet elevation change, or one degree per 150 meters elevation change.

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