Climate Change Chart of Crested Butte, USA

Overview of climate changes

Changes in snowfall

Mean daily snowfall averaged across calendar months shows a difference of +2.82 mm/day compared with the earlier reference period. This is an unweighted summary of monthly means, not a day-weighted annual average or a monthly total. The largest monthly increase was in December, at a difference of +8.71 mm/day; the largest decrease was in September, at a difference of -0.21 mm/day. The opposing monthly differences put the mean in context, but do not imply that every month followed the same pattern.

Temperature changes

Averaged across calendar months, monthly mean temperature shows a difference of +2.80 °C in the more recent period; this is an unweighted comparison of monthly means, not a day-weighted annual average or a measure of daytime highs. The largest monthly increase was in January, with a difference of +5.12 °C. That identifies the strongest increase among the supplied monthly differences, rather than describing every month.

Changes in sunshine duration

Mean daily sunshine duration averaged across calendar months had a difference of -0.43 hours/day in the more recent period, using an unweighted mean of the monthly means rather than a day-weighted annual average. The largest monthly decrease was in December, with a difference of -0.96 hours/day. This month-specific result marks the strongest decrease in the supplied data; it does not mean that sunshine duration changed by the same amount in every month.

Changes in rainfall

Mean daily rainfall averaged across calendar months shows a difference of -0.01 mm/day compared with the earlier reference period. This unweighted mean summarizes differences among monthly means; it is not a day-weighted annual average or a monthly rainfall total. The largest monthly increase occurred in July, at a difference of +0.42 mm/day, while the largest decrease was in October, at a difference of -0.22 mm/day. These contrasting month-specific changes show why the overall mean should not be read as the change in every month.