Weather
What is the climate like in downtown Denver?
Overall, downtown Denver is mild and arid. There are 300 days of sunshine per year. The residents take advantage of this and participate in parades and festivals. When it rains a lot in a short amount of time, flooding can sometimes take place. This causes traffic lights to stop working which leads to traffic.
The average high temperatures are in the 80's and lows in the teens. Average seasonal snowfall is 57 inches. Snow doesn’t stay on the ground for long so cafes and golf courses can stay open all year. But, when temperatures plummet, the weather can become life threatening.
How are the homeless population affected due to the diverse climate?
When the temperatures drop, homeless shelters reach their capacity. About a dozen churches open when the weather becomes dangerous. Overflow shelters open during frigid weather. This brings the bed count up from 1,200 to 1,500.
Places like the Denver Public Library see 20-50 homeless people on an average winter day. They are desperate for a place to keep warm. Police chase them out of transit centers. The spokesman for Denver’s RTD said it is not their job to house the homeless at their facilities.
The main shelters in downtown Denver include: The Gathering Place Shelter, The Women’s Emergency Shelter, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Denver Rescue Mission, and Denver’s Road Home. Outreach workers comb the streets to try and persuade the homeless to seek shelter. Thirty-three people have died of various strains of pneumonia and twenty people have frozen to death on Denver’s streets since 2000.
Even during the summer months, the homeless camp out on the streets. 16th Street Mall is a popular place for shopping but it is also a home to over 100 people each night. In the Denver metro area, there were 11,377 men, women, and children living on the streets. Compared to other major cities, this does not sound like much.
Overall, downtown Denver is mild and arid. There are 300 days of sunshine per year. The residents take advantage of this and participate in parades and festivals. When it rains a lot in a short amount of time, flooding can sometimes take place. This causes traffic lights to stop working which leads to traffic.
The average high temperatures are in the 80's and lows in the teens. Average seasonal snowfall is 57 inches. Snow doesn’t stay on the ground for long so cafes and golf courses can stay open all year. But, when temperatures plummet, the weather can become life threatening.
How are the homeless population affected due to the diverse climate?
When the temperatures drop, homeless shelters reach their capacity. About a dozen churches open when the weather becomes dangerous. Overflow shelters open during frigid weather. This brings the bed count up from 1,200 to 1,500.
Places like the Denver Public Library see 20-50 homeless people on an average winter day. They are desperate for a place to keep warm. Police chase them out of transit centers. The spokesman for Denver’s RTD said it is not their job to house the homeless at their facilities.
The main shelters in downtown Denver include: The Gathering Place Shelter, The Women’s Emergency Shelter, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Denver Rescue Mission, and Denver’s Road Home. Outreach workers comb the streets to try and persuade the homeless to seek shelter. Thirty-three people have died of various strains of pneumonia and twenty people have frozen to death on Denver’s streets since 2000.
Even during the summer months, the homeless camp out on the streets. 16th Street Mall is a popular place for shopping but it is also a home to over 100 people each night. In the Denver metro area, there were 11,377 men, women, and children living on the streets. Compared to other major cities, this does not sound like much.