Colorado Springs

“For purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain...”

Colorado Springs is a city of about 400,000 people (about 600,000 in the metro area) set at the foot of Pikes Peak, along the Front Range of Colorado. The city is right at the point where the high prairie meets the mountains, and the scenery in the area inspired the song “America the Beautiful”. Once home to Robert Heinlein, and mentioned in several of his books (either directly, or thinly disguised), Colorado Springs is home to the Olympic Training Center and the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, home of NORAD, beneath Cheyenne Mountain (the one that was pulverized by falling rocks in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress!).

---

Colorado Springs in January?

You might be surprised by the weather here at that time of year. The average weather in January is often fairly mild with a lot of sun, moderate daytime temperatures, and cold evenings. The average high in Colorado Springs in mid-January is 42°F, with occasional days breaking 60°F. The nights cool rapidly once the sun sets, reaching an average low of 15°F. January is generally a very sunny month, with most days being sunny or partly sunny. This is typical of Colorado Springs, where we enjoy a very sunny climate. Want more information on our local weather? Go to the NOAA website, where you can find climate information on Colorado Springs.

---

Skiing and Snowboarding

Of course January in the mountains often puts people in the mood for skiing and snowboarding. January is the height of the Colorado ski season, and Colorado Springs is within a few hours of many ski areas, both large and small. If you want to ski or snowboard while you are here, discount tickets are always available through local grocery stores and ski rental shops. The ski areas themselves often have great package deals on rentals, lessons, and lift tickets.

Some of the favorite ski areas of the locals include:

• Copper Mountain
• Keystone
• Breckenridge
• Winter Park
• Loveland
• Monarch
• Arapahoe Basin

---

Getting Here

Colorado Springs is served by its own airport, designated by the three-letter code COS. The convention hotel, The Best Western Academy Hotel, is about a 40 minute drive from the airport. You can also fly into the Denver International Airport (designation DEN). DIA is about one and a half to two hours drive to Colorado Springs (depending on the traffic).