Alpine, Arizona
Alpine, Arizona | |
|---|---|
 Alpine (center of image); Luna Lake, right center. NASA perspective image created by joining Landsat 7 and Digital Elevation Model data. | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Apache |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2) |
| • Land | 0.6 sq mi (1.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 8,012 ft (2,442 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
• Total | 145 |
| • Density | 241/sq mi (93.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| FIPS code | 04-01920 |
| GNIS Feature ID | 25603 |
Alpine is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Apache County, Arizona, United States, in Bush Valley in the east central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 145.[2]
History
Alpine was settled in 1876 by Anderson Bush, who built a log house originally known as "Fort Bush". Bush sold his holdings in 1879 to William Maxwell and Fred Hamblin, Mormon settlers who established the town as a Mormon community.[3]
Geography
Alpine is located at an elevation of 8,050 feet (2,450 m) above sea level in the eastern end of the White Mountains and surrounded by the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest. Alpine is a popular destination for hunting, fishing, and camping. Alpine is near the headwaters of the San Francisco River and six miles from the New Mexico border. As of 1960, it was the highest place in the United States where farming was successfully occurring.[3]
The Alpine post office has the ZIP code of 85920.[4]
Climate
Alpine has a Continental climate (Köppen Dsb) influence by its very high altitude and the North American Monsoon, which brings frequent thunder showers during the summer. Although temperatures are generally comfortable during the daytime, the sun is very intense and at night frosts have occurred even in summer and are an almost daily occurrence from October to May.
Winters are cold, with storms bringing precipitation mostly in the form of snow. Because Alpine is on the eastern end of the Mogollon Rim, it experiences a rain shadow from the White Mountains: it gets less snowfall than points west at a similar elevation.
| Climate data for Alpine, Arizona | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 72 (22) |
72 (22) |
74 (23) |
79 (26) |
92 (33) |
94 (34) |
94 (34) |
88 (31) |
87 (31) |
86 (30) |
77 (25) |
72 (22) |
94 (34) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 44.8 (7.1) |
47.6 (8.7) |
52.3 (11.3) |
59.7 (15.4) |
67.6 (19.8) |
77.5 (25.3) |
78.4 (25.8) |
75.3 (24.1) |
71.2 (21.8) |
62.6 (17.0) |
52.6 (11.4) |
46.2 (7.9) |
61.3 (16.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.4 (−10.3) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
20.8 (−6.2) |
24.4 (−4.2) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
36.5 (2.5) |
44.7 (7.1) |
43.9 (6.6) |
37.4 (3.0) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
14.2 (−9.9) |
27.4 (−2.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −32 (−36) |
−28 (−33) |
−25 (−32) |
−6 (−21) |
8 (−13) |
13 (−11) |
27 (−3) |
29 (−2) |
17 (−8) |
−1 (−18) |
−18 (−28) |
−28 (−33) |
−32 (−36) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.35 (34) |
1.29 (33) |
1.30 (33) |
0.63 (16) |
0.75 (19) |
0.86 (22) |
3.43 (87) |
4.47 (114) |
2.41 (61) |
2.38 (60) |
1.44 (37) |
1.35 (34) |
21.66 (550) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.4 (19) |
6.8 (17) |
5.8 (15) |
1.4 (3.6) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1.4 (3.6) |
4.0 (10) |
5.8 (15) |
32.8 (83.71) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch) | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.3 | 16.5 | 17.4 | 9.7 | 6.8 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 94 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 inch) | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 11.6 |
| Source: NOAA[5] | |||||||||||||
Government and infrastructure
The U.S. Postal Service operates the Alpine Post Office on U.S. Route 191.[6]
Attractions
- The Coronado Trail Scenic Byway,[7] a 120-mile (190 km) segment along U.S. Route 191 (formerly US-666) between Springerville and Clifton, Arizona
- Escudilla Mountain (10,877 ft or 3,315 m), a pine and aspen-covered mesa, popular for hiking, horseback-riding, and viewing fall colors
- Luna Lake, 3 miles (5 km) southeast, a popular fishing and camping spot
Education
The Alpine Elementary School District, operating Alpine Elementary School, serves Alpine.[8]
The Apache County Library District operates the Alpine Public Library.[9]
See also
References
- ^ "Alpine". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Alpine CDP, Arizona". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
- ^ a b Byrd H. Granger (1960). Arizona Place Names. University of Arizona Press. p. 3. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
- ^ Zip Code Lookup
- ^ "ALPINE, AZ" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. December 2011. Retrieved December 6, 2011.
- ^ "Post Office™ Location – ALPINE." U.S. Postal Service. Retrieved on January 30, 2011.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Alpine Elementary School." Alpine Elementary School District. Retrieved on January 30, 2011.
- ^ "Alpine Public Library." Apache County Library District. Retrieved on January 30, 2011.
External links
- Alpine Area Chamber of Commerce
- "Alpine" at White Mountains Online
Municipalities and communities of Apache County, Arizona, United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
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| Populated places | ||
| Indian reservations | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |