Temperatures to warm this week with precipitation chances tonight and midweek
Sunday, December 7, 2025
The sun broke out this Sunday at noon in Steamboat Springs, with the temperature right at freezing, while the top of the Steamboat Ski Area has clouds, a temperature of thirteen degrees, and gusty breezes from the northwest. After a bit of snow tonight, temperatures will begin a warming trend that lasts through the workweek, bringing high temperatures into the mid-forties in town and upper-twenties near the top of the hill. Uncertainty remains high regarding the strength and duration of a warm storm around midweek that could bring liquid precipitation to town and snow to the higher elevations.
Since winter started properly a week ago Friday, the Steamboat Ski Resort has reported snow every morning except last Sunday, with mid-mountain accumulating 32” of snow. The well-advertised storm this weekend produced winds gusting to above 70 mph at the top of the hill on Saturday, and 17” of snow since it started on Thursday night.
Our area remains in breezy northwest flow as winds accelerate toward a persistent trough of low pressure extending southwards from Hudson Bay. A weak wave moving through this northwest flow will bring a chance of snow showers from about midnight tonight through noon on Monday, leaving 1-4” for the Monday morning report and perhaps another inch or two by noon.
Similar to today, the sun should appear by Monday afternoon as temperatures rise into the mid-thirties, above the average of freezing.
A complicated weather pattern in the central Pacific is making for an uncertain precipitation forecast from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday and possibly Thursday, though warming temperatures are more certain. A storm over the Gulf of Alaska is forecast to merge with a storm south of the Aleutian Islands, elongating southwestward towards Hawaii. A broad ridge of high pressure then develops downstream of this feature over the West, continuing a warming trend that brings high temperatures into the low-forties by midweek.
Subtropical and possibly tropical moisture will be drawn northeastward along the eastern side of the central Pacific low pressure area and injected into the high pressure ridge. It appears we will at least see a grazing shot of precipitation later Tuesday into Wednesday as this moisture moves nearby, though snow levels are forecast to rise to above Christie Peak by Wednesday afternoon.
Weather forecast models have varied considerably, both between and within themselves, as they struggle with the amount of cold air drawn southward from western Canada and southwestward from Hudson Bay. The European ECMWF is more pessimistic than the American GFS, and has been more consistent in predicting a jet stream further north and lower precipitation amounts. We could see as much as 2-5” of snow by the Wednesday and Thursday morning ski reports, or as little as 1-4” just on Wednesday.
In any event, there is forecast consistency for a warm and dry weekend. Let’s hope the jet stream sags to the south midweek, and I’ll have more details on the weekend in my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Thursday afternoon.
Persistent snowfall to start tonight and last through the weekend
Thursday, December 4, 2025
Winter conditions over the Yampa Valley have been in place since the weather switch was flipped last Friday night. Temperatures in town are only in the mid-twenties, and near ten degrees near the top of the Steamboat Ski Resort, with partly sunny skies early this Thursday afternoon. Soak up the sun today, since it is going away for the weekend as a powerful wintry storm approaches the North-Central Colorado mountains. Three waves of snow in favorable northwest flow will bring snowfall totals measured in feet to the area, along with difficult driving conditions through the weekend and high winds on Saturday.
A deep trough of low pressure extending southward from the Aleutian Islands has conspired with a broad ridge of high pressure over the eastern Pacific to direct tropical and subtropical moisture northward. Energy ejected from the Aleutian storm has ingested some of this moisture as it traveled over the ridge, starting snowfall tonight as it moves overhead in our favorable northwest flow and leaving 1-4” at mid-mountain for the Friday morning ski report. Snowfall should continue through the day, becoming moderate at times and leaving another 3-6” by sunset on Friday.
Snow will decrease or even stop for a short time on early Friday evening ahead of the main event. Most of the Aleutian storm will be forced eastward by a strengthening Pacific jet stream, ingesting more subtropical and tropical moisture as it approaches the Vancouver coast on Friday. Expect increasing winds and moderate to heavy snow Friday night, with snowfall rates exceeding an inch per hour at times, making travel over Rabbit Ears Pass difficult or even impossible.
We could see 6-12” of snow overnight, and combined with the snowfall during the day Friday, a 9-18” Saturday morning mid-mountain ski report. Unfortunately, westerly to northwesterly mountain-top winds averaging over 30 mph and gusting to as high as 60 mph, soon after midnight and lasting through the early afternoon, may make lift operations problematic; let’s hope Christie Peak is ready for opening.
Another 3-6” of snow will fall during the blustery Saturday morning, leaving 1-2′ of snowfall from the first two waves on the hill. Significant snowfall will occur in town as well, with 6-12” expected.
Snowfall may not stop on Saturday afternoon behind the second wave, only diminish, as the third, much weaker wave moves overhead Saturday night. We could see another 3-6” of snow by the Sunday morning report, though forecast trends are for a bit less. Fortunately, the winds will diminish but still remain breezy.
Intermittent snowfall may continue on Sunday and Monday as favorable northwest flow remains overhead, though with warming temperatures. This pattern is forecast to persist through the workweek, with weather forecast model uncertainty high regarding a midweek storm. Enjoy the first storm of meteorological winter, which began on December 1st, and I’ll have more details on what we can expect next week in my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Sunday afternoon.
Storms today and midweek to be accompanied by cold temperatures
Sunday, November 30, 2025
Snow showers have already started late this Sunday morning at the top of the Steamboat Ski Resort, where the temperature has warmed from the ten-degree high on a sunny Saturday to the current seventeen degrees. The storm today and another midweek will bring accumulating snowfall and cold to all elevations, with additional active weather advertised for next weekend.
The Friday storm flipped the weather switch to winter, bringing four inches of snow to the Steamboat Ski Resort, an inch to town, and cold temperatures that reached a high of only ten degrees on Saturday near the top and thirty-one degrees at the Bob Adams airport. A storm moving through the Great Basin will bring more snow at all elevations from this afternoon into Sunday night, followed by the coldest temperatures of the season so far.
The storm is undergoing a mild split, with forecast snowfall amounts decreasing for our area as the southern end of the split pulls energy and moisture southward to central and southern Colorado. We could see as much as 3-6” at mid-mountain by the Monday morning ski report, with most of that falling through this afternoon and early evening, and up to a couple of inches in town.
Even colder temperatures will follow for Monday, starting around zero and not rising above the single digits near the top of the hill and only the upper twenties in town, below our average of thirty-four degrees, perhaps tempered by some afternoon sun.
Energy ejecting out of a storm currently over the Aleutian Islands is forecast to travel through a ridge of high pressure over the eastern Pacific that extends into the Gulf of Alaska, crossing the Vancouver coast Monday night. This storm will track through the Great Basin on Tuesday and ingest cold air from western Canada, similar to the current storm, but undergo a stronger split further to the west, limiting snow accumulations for our area. Snow showers should begin by Tuesday afternoon and continue through the day on Wednesday, with another 2-5” possible at mid-mountain by Wednesday night and several inches in town.
A short break in the weather may allow for some sun on a still-cool Thursday before the Aleutian storm ingests some subtropical and possibly tropical moisture through the workweek as it slowly moves eastward, eventually suppressing the eastern Pacific ridge of high pressure southward. Sustained favorable and moist northwest flow is forecast to follow for the weekend, likely bringing a couple of rounds of additional, and possibly significant, snowfall to our area.
It’s incredible to see how much snow the Steamboat Ski Resort has made these last couple of days once the cold finally arrived, thanks to the hard work of the snowmaking crew and a state-of-the-art snowmaking system. Enjoy the likely imminent terrain openings as the cold and snow continue, and I’ll have more details on the encouraging weather pattern for next weekend in my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Thursday afternoon.
Snows to finally arrive and bookend the weekend
Thursday, November 27, 2025
Temperatures are in the upper thirties with overcast skies on this Thanksgiving noon in Steamboat Springs, on their way to the mid-forties as some sun appears this afternoon. While Friday will start mostly sunny, increasing afternoon clouds will precede a strong cold front, bringing snowfall to all elevations later Friday into Saturday. Another storm in favorable northwest flow will bring more snowfall to our area from later Sunday into Monday, with a third storm possible around midweek.
Our dry start to the winter season mercifully looks to end by Friday night as a series of ridges of high pressure build over and north of Alaska, directing more cold air from the North Pole southward and placing our area in favorable northwest flow. A Pacific storm moving under the ridge through the Gulf of Alaska is currently bringing precipitation to the Pacific Northwest. It will ingest some cold western Canadian air as it moves through Idaho early Friday, bringing a strong cold front through our area Friday night.
While Friday will start with some morning sun, allowing high temperatures to rise to the upper forties, over ten degrees above our average of thirty-six degrees, increasing afternoon clouds and westerly winds will mark a pattern change that will start a period of cold and unsettled weather in favorable northwest flow. Energy ejecting out ahead of the storm may start snow showers as early as Friday afternoon, with light to moderate snow showers as the storm moves across Friday night. The cold front will follow before sunrise, continuing the snow showers into the morning and leaving 3-6” of snow at mid-mountain by the Saturday morning ski report.
Below-average temperatures will follow the front, with high temperatures on Saturday only around thirty degrees in town and the teens up top. Clouds will decrease by Saturday afternoon, perhaps allowing for some sun that may also appear Sunday morning, but the next storm will start another round of snow by Sunday afternoon.
This storm will feature the northern part of the weather system now splitting over the Aleutian Islands. It is forecast to cross the Vancouver coast on Saturday and, due to a quickly building ridge of high pressure behind it in the Gulf of Alaska, be forced into the Great Basin early Sunday. It too will ingest cold air from western Canada, starting snow showers by Sunday afternoon that will continue into Monday morning.
Snow accumulations could be similar to Friday night’s storm, though forecast amounts are still changing in the weather models. After a short break, unsettled weather is forecast to return midweek.
Your snow dances are working, so keep up the good work! Enjoy the snowfall that truly starts the winter season over the Thanksgiving weekend, and I’ll have more details on the snow amounts expected by Monday morning and the possible midweek storm in my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Sunday afternoon.
Cold front to arrive Monday night with meager snow chances through midweek
Sunday, November 23, 2025
Temperatures are approaching forty degrees in the town of Steamboat Springs and freezing at the top of the Steamboat Ski Resort late this Sunday morning with partly cloudy skies. The warm temperatures this past week will last through Monday and be followed by cooler temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday after a mostly dry cold front passes through our area Monday night. There will be chances for minor snow accumulations with the front, and again on Wednesday, but warmer temperatures are expected for Thanksgiving and Black Friday before a promising storm could arrive around next weekend.
A storm to our south has brought five inches of snow to Wolf Creek, but only some passing clouds to our area. After high temperatures reach the upper forties this afternoon, Monday will start mostly sunny with high temperatures several degrees cooler than today, but still above our average of thirty-eight degrees. Clouds will increase in the afternoon as a storm from the Pacific Northwest approaches.
The cold front associated with the storm will be fairly dry, but the storm ingests some cold air from western Canada, bringing snow flurries Monday night and Tuesday, with only meager accumulations on the hill. A ridge of high pressure briefly builds over the West Coast through midweek, keeping northwest flow overhead that warms the mid-thirty-degree high temperatures on a mostly sunny Tuesday afternoon to around forty degrees on Wednesday, and the mid-to-upper forties on Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
A wave moving through the northwest flow will bring clouds back to our area on Wednesday, along with another chance of high-elevation snow flurries. Weather forecast models have been advertising a promising storm around next weekend for several days now, though the timing, location, and snow potential are uncertain. What is more certain is that arctic air will accompany this storm, bringing cold wintertime temperatures to our area that look to hang around for a while.
There should be no travel impacts over Rabbit Ears Pass to start the Thanksgiving holiday, but the return trip next weekend could be a different story. Enjoy the great man-made snow conditions at the top of the Steamboat Ski Area this week, which will be helped by the early-week cooldown, and I’ll have more details on the evolving wintry storm in my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Thursday afternoon.
