Unsettled weekend with significant snow for Monday followed by our first week of true spring weather
Friday, April 4, 2014
After a beautiful morning today, the atmosphere moistens and destabilizes ahead of a splitting trough just entering the west coast. Clouds should increase today and there may be some showers near the end of the day.
Most of the cool air will be shunted to our north as the trough splits, so precipitation will likely fall as rain or a rain / snow mix at lower elevations and snow higher up on the hill. Showers will likely redevelop early Saturday and grow heavier and more numerous in the afternoon, though accumulations will likely remain light and localized before decreasing after sunset.
Sunday will also be unsettled, though a productive cool and moist trailing wave from the northwest will influence our area by the afternoon. Showers will be much heavier than today and Saturday by Sunday afternoon, and there will likely be accumulations on the hill by the end of they day.
Snows will increase after sunset Sunday and become moderate to heavy by midnight as cooler air is dragged across the region. Though this is a quick moving wave, we should see 4-8” by Monday morning with the possibility of some Steamboat magic after the report.
Showers will taper off through Monday, with periods of sun, especially in the valley. Winter-weary people will welcome the strongly warming temperatures and beautiful spring weather starting Tuesday and likely lasting through much of the workweek. Thursday may be a bit cooler and cloudier as models have a Pacific wave battling the ridge over our area and eventually passing to our north.
The result of this battle may allow additional Pacific energy to influence our area for closing weekend, though there is model disagreement on how this may happen.
