Winter solstice storm fizzles, but more snow chances this week
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Like all of the previous possible storms this past month, the current storm has split from the main storm track and is currently shearing apart as it dives southeastward into New Mexico. I’m afraid Steamboat Springs will not see more than an inch or two on top of the trace amount reported this morning.
Skies will briefly clear on Friday ahead of another chance for snow lasting from Friday night through Saturday afternoon. This storm moves southeastward from British Columbia and will mix with some moist Pacific air to bring snows to northern Colorado starting Friday night. There may be an inch or two of snow for the Saturday morning report, but the best snow looks to wait until some cooler air arrives Saturday morning after the report.
If snows stop Saturday afternoon, then there could be 3-6” snow for the Sunday morning report. There may be a bit more if the slightly warmer and wetter model solutions verify and keep light snow going Saturday night.
By Sunday, some models have us dry and seasonably cold, while others keep us warmer with light snow continuing during the day. For what its worth, models have just moved toward the drier and cooler solutions for Saturday night and Sunday.
Agreement among the models return for Sunday night into Christmas Day as Pacific energy undercuts a ridge of high pressure that will form over Alaska. This brings seasonably warm and moist northwest flow our area. There is not a lot of cold air with the storm which will limit our snowfall, but there could be several inches by Christmas morning with another 3-6” during the day.
Lots of uncertainty emerges after Monday as another ridge of high pressure is advertised to build off the West Coast. It is not yet clear if Pacific storms will travel over the ridge and drop into the southwestern U.S., encouraging the cold air in central North America to move back westward, or if the Pacific storms will move through the ridge and keep the coldest air to our east.
One of these storms look to influence our weather on Tuesday or Wednesday, with light snow a possibility heading into midweek.
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