Next chance for snow just after the weekend
Thursday, February 2, 2023
Bluebird skies and temperatures approaching ten degrees in the town of Steamboat Springs and fifteen degrees at the top of the Steamboat Ski Resort are over the Yampa Valley late this Thursday morning. After seeing accumulating snow at mid-mountain for all but seven days in January, snowfall will take a break through the weekend with a mix of sun and clouds ahead of the next chance for snow on Monday.
January was quite the snowy month both in town and on the mountain, and the Steamboat Ski Resort recorded the second consecutive month (108”, 127”) of one hundred inches or more of accumulated snow for only the fifth time since 1980! The image below shows those consecutive months circled in red just below the total accumulated seasonal snowfall (as of January 2023).
Total and monthly seasonal snowfall at mid-mountain at the Steamboat Ski Resort from 1980 - Jan 2023
Additionally, the town saw some impressive snowfall, though it appears that about two weeks of snowfall data have yet to be published by the official measuring site by the high school in Steamboat Springs. However, the measured snowfall depth of 56” on January 30 2023 ties the sixth most recorded on the ground since 1908 as shown in the accompanying chart!
And of course, it is no coincidence that the winter of 1996 - 1997, which holds the top 3 spots for base depth in town, also had 2 consecutive months of over one hundred inches of snowfall at the Steamboat Ski Resort.
But now we have clear skies, and there is not much weather to speak of through the weekend. A ridge of high pressure has build over the Intermountain West bringing clear skies and cold morning temperatures to our area. Pockets of moisture moving through the ridge may bring some clouds tonight into Friday morning, and again later Friday into Saturday as a weakening and dry wave moves through the ridge and travels through our area.
Our next chance of snow comes later Sunday and Monday as a shearing wave moves through our area between Sunday and Monday nights. Snowfall amounts from the storm currently look to be modest, with preliminary estimates in the 5-10” range. But I’ll have more details about that in my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Sunday afternoon.
