7 things that may surprise Colorado transplants

DENVER - Thousands of people are moving to the beautiful state of Colorado every year. Denver has become the fastest growing major city in the country, according to the Census Bureau.

As with anyone who moves to a new area, there are sometimes adjustments that need to be made and misconceptions dispelled. Colorado transplants are no different.

We talked to a few recent transplants in the Denver7 newsroom to find out what surprised them about their new state. Here are their top seven.

1. Short I-25 on and off ramps

We’re not sure where you came from, but we like our merging traffic to hurry up and get on already. A Denver7 producer complained about this one. Apparently on ramps in other cities are several miles long and have rest stops to stretch the legs.

2. 85 octane 

This may be surprising to the few native Coloradans that are left. We have a lower regular-grade octane than other states. In most parts of the country 87 octane is the lowest offered, in Colorado and other Rocky Mountain states 85 octane is the minimum. How come? It’s figured that your car doesn’t know the difference between 85 octane and 87 octane because of the lower air pressure at high altitudes.

3. Where’s the snow?

Another surprise that many newbies to the state (Denver specifically) have is the lack of snow on the ground? Apparently most people outside the Centennial state believe that Denver is covered in 12-feet of snow year round. Heck, even Denver winters are not that bad (compared to Buffalo). Have you heard of the Snowvember storm?

4. Why the snow?

So, the whole Denver covered in snow year-round thing has been discussed, but snow on the mountains in summer? One newer producer from Georgia was surprised to see snow in the mountains in July. We’ll give her a pass on this one. She’s not used to seeing atmospheric water vapor frozen into ice crystals. She says most Georgians curl up into the fetal position when, on the rare occasion, the white stuff begins to fall from the sky.

5. CVS and Bank of America

While these two chains are ubiquitous around the country, not so much in Colorado, where you're more likely to bump into a Walgreens or a Wells Fargo. Although CVS pharmacies are beginning to pop up in area Targets, the state still has only one Bank of America location. 

6. Swamp Coolers

Despite what the name implies, this type of cooling won’t work very well in swampy conditions. The machines use cold water to cool the home, which works great in a dry climate like Colorado. They are much cheaper to operate than a traditional HVAC system but it does take longer for them to start cooling off your house.

7. Speaking of dry

Another surprise to many visiting or living in Colorado for the first time (especially from the East Coast) is the dry air. If you have ever driven east of Colorado and into the wall of humidity that cloaks the entire Midwest, South and East Coast with a dripping wet mess, you’ll know what we’re talking about. We’ll take the dry skin and sinuses any day.