Wet start to weekend followed by modest drying
Friday, August 5, 2016
A Pacific Northwest storm and associated trough of low pressure extending southward along the West Coast continues to draw monsoonal moisture over Colorado and southern Utah in the southwest flow ahead of the storm. While Steamboat Springs is on the northern edge of the moisture plume and heavier rain, ill-defined waves of energy either ejecting from the West Coast storm or embedded in the southwest flow will keep good chances of wetting rains around through Saturday.
A wave of energy traveling along the southern end of the West Coast trough will nudge the entire storm eastward around Saturday night, shifting the highest moisture to the east as well. Though a significant drying trend starts then, a weak ejecting wave looks to travel close enough to our area on Sunday to continue the threat of afternoon storms, possibly strong, that may continue into the evening.
Additional Pacific energy keeps parts of the storm to our west, with continued southwest flow keeping the driest air to our west through at least Tuesday. The remaining moisture will keep the threat of afternoon storms around for Monday and Tuesday under noticeably drier conditions.
Much drier air looks to finally intrude by Wednesday as what remains of the West Coast trough moves bodily inland. Though the storm will stay mostly to our north, it will be close enough to create dry and breezy weather for Wednesday and part of Thursday. The southern part of the storm is forecast to drag a cool front over our area by later Thursday or early Friday, and may be the focus for thunderstorms for the end of the work week, especially Friday.
