Travel TipsTraveling to Colorado - helpful information for you.

The diverse terrain and higher elevations in the Southern Rockies can result in rapidly changing weather throughout the year. Although we\’re lucky to have 300 days of sunshine and more than 300 inches of snow in the mountains per year, our weather is varied and can be unpredictable. It is important to be prepared with the proper protective clothing. Our advice is to dress in layers, as the daily temperatures can vary considerably.Because things can change quickly, make sure to check the road conditions before traveling…even in summer! For the most recent road conditions and travel information, visit one of the road condition websites. Here are two that come in handy:

• CDOT - Colorado Department of Transportation: Click here for Colorado Road Conditions.
• NMDOT - New Mexico Department of Transportation: Click here for New Mexico Road Conditions.

Some visitors feel the affects of altitude sickness, which can cause headaches, nausea and/or fatigue. This can happen when traveling to a high elevation too quickly from a lower elevation. Make sure to drink lots of water daily, curb alcohol and tobacco consumption, and plan to spend a night or two at an intermediate elevation before traveling to higher elevations in the mountains. Check out some additional tips on avoiding altitude sicknessBring sunscreen! Because the air is thinner and the higher elevation puts you closer to the sun, the sun’s rays are more powerful than at sea level – without sunscreen, you can easily sunburn even on overcast, cool days.

The chart below represents Durango, Colorado, but will give you a general idea of average temperatures and precipitation in surrounding Southern Rockies destinations.

Colorado and New Mexico are in the Mountain Time Zone (MST). The time difference to the Eastern Time Zone (EST) is +2 hours (if it is 12 Noon in MST, it is 2 p.m. in EST). MST is one-hour ahead of the Pacific Time Zone (PST) (if it is 12 Noon in MST, it is 11 a.m. in PST). Compared with Great Britain, the time difference amounts to seven hours (-7 hours) and to Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland eight hours (-8 hours).

Whatever your plans are for a day outing, several simple items will make the adventure more safe and comfortable.Make sure you have the following basics with you:

• Sunscreen
• Warmer clothing to layer (nights and early mornings are quite cool)
• Jacket/sweatshirt (yes, even in summer)
• Food/snacks
• Fresh water
• Matches/lighter
• Pocketknife
• Hat/Visor
• Sunglasses

Other useful items to bring include your camera, binoculars, a cell phone, cash, pepper spray and bug repellent.