Unsettled weather returns after warm and dry Closing Weekend

Thursday, April 13, 2017

A powerful storm from the Gulf of Alaska has crossed the West Coast, and temperatures in the Steamboat Springs area will be much above normal today as breezy southwest flow ahead of the storm carries warm air over the Rockies. However, the storm will be deflected to our northwest and move over the northern Rockies as the western ridge flattens over the next two days. Some cooler air will be dragged over our region on Friday and Saturday, and there may be enough moisture for some clouds both days.

Behind the grazing storm early in the weekend, skies will be sunny and temperatures above normal again for Sunday as the western ridge rebuilds.

The weather will turn unsettled by Monday as a still energetic Pacific jet stream carries waves of energy over the continental U.S. There may some showers on Monday afternoon as the first relatively weak wave of many moves over our area under seasonable temperatures.

While Tuesday looks to be a warm and dry day ahead of the next Pacific wave, cold air from a persistent Hudson Bay vortex will slide southwestward toward the Gulf of Alaska at times over at least the following week, reinforcing storms originally formed in the Pacific. The fast westerly flow aloft combined with uncertainty regarding the southward and westward extent of the cold air from the Hudson Bay makes for an uncertain forecast beyond mid-next week.

While the details are uncertain, models agree that a cold storm will move over our area after midweek, with snow possible down to the valley floor.