Storms stay mostly south until moisture returns for the end of work week
Monday, August 29, 2016
A series of Pacific Northwest storms will move a building western ridge eastward through this week as energy from the storms moves generally northeastward from Oregon and Washington through the Canadian Rockies. As was the case last week, the best moisture in Colorado looks to say south of the Steamboat Springs area early this week and any storms that do develop will likely have more wind than rain as the lower atmosphere stays relatively dry.
Forecasts have the Pacific Northwest storm consolidating through the week, eventually forming a large trough of low pressure that moves ashore around Thursday. Winds over our area will increase from the southwest as the storm moves closer and deeper moisture will be pulled over our area starting Thursday. Hard to define waves in the southwest flow may provide enough forcing to allow for afternoon and possibly evening storms to form for Thursday and Friday before the moisture plume is shunted to the east for Labor Day weekend.
Currently, it looks like there may be enough moisture around for Saturday and Sunday for a small chance of afternoon storms in seasonably cool temperatures, while Labor Day looks dry and continued cool as a tongue of much drier air invades behind the main storm that is forecast to be over Montana then.
Additional trailing energy will force some sort of cool front through the area around next Tuesday possibly allowing for a cool day with showers depending upon the strength of the front.
