Minimal precipitation chances this week after today
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Behind the storm which brought cooler temperatures to the Steamboat Springs area on Monday and Tuesday, winds have switched to the southwest and temperatures have warmed ahead of another Pacific storm crossing the West Coast later today.
Our best chance for precipitation this upcoming week occurs today as a weak wave of energy containing some mid-level moisture moves overhead. But any storms this afternoon and evening are likely to bring more wind than rain as the lower levels of the atmosphere remain dry.
Temperatures will soar to summertime levels Thursday as breezy southwest flow continues ahead of the West Coast storm.
The storm is forecast to cross the Great Basin on Friday, and bring a mostly dry cool front through our area Friday afternoon or night. We’ll likely see at least some clouds overnight, and more seasonable temperatures on Saturday.
Temperatures will warm on Sunday, and more on Monday, even as a left-behind piece of the Friday cool front moves over southern Colorado and northern Arizona on Sunday. But any precipitation is currently forecast to be south of our area.
The weather looks to remain summer-like and dry for most of the rest of the upcoming work week as breezy southwest flow carries very dry air from the Desert Southwest over our area.
Afternoon showers possible through midweek
Sunday, May 27, 2018
A large and weakening storm loitering in the Great Basin this weekend will finally move to the northeast and graze the Steamboat Springs area through the early week period. Lobes of energy and moisture will continue to rotate around the storm, and one has dragged a weak cool front through our area today, with another stronger one forecast for Memorial Day. The atmosphere should remain quite dry today even in the presence of some clouds, so more wind than rain should be associated with any storms this afternoon.
But a better chance of some wetting rains will exist for the Memorial Day afternoon and evening as the storm moves very near to our area and brings a cooler day with seasonable temperatures.
Showers will again be possible on Tuesday as still cool, moist and eventually unstable northwest flow sets up over northern Colorado behind the departing storm.
Ahead of another Pacific storm approaching the West Coast early in the work week, the flow turns from northwest to southwest on Wednesday and temperatures rise to above normal again. A subtropical wave will move over Colorado and increase the chances of some warm Wednesday afternoon and evening storms.
Meanwhile, the Pacific storm is forecast to cross the West Coast midweek, and breezy southwest flow ahead of the storm will bring very warm and dry conditions to Colorado on Thursday and Friday.
Unlike the previous three storms, this once is not expected to stall over the Great Basin, and is forecast to graze northern Colorado early next weekend. The strength of the storm by the time it passes near our area is in question, so there may or may not be some noticeably cool air and the possibility of afternoon showers for the weekend.
Steamboat’s two seasons
Friday, May 25, 2018
You may think that Steamboat has four seasons, but apparently there are only two - ski season and construction season!
Sometimes, they overlap.
For those traveling to and from our little corner of paradise this summer, CDOT is halting road construction on Rabbit Ears Pass during our busiest times. Check out their latest updates here.
SnowAlarm also has some live CDOT cams archived and available to loop, if you want to see what you are getting into. Check those out here.
Gorgeous Memorial Day weekend on tap
Thursday, May 24, 2018
It’s time to break out the barbecues as summer-like weather will grace the Steamboat Springs area heading into and lasting much of this coming Memorial Day weekend. A large Pacific storm will cross the West Coast tonight and loiter in the Great Basin through the weekend. Southwest flow ahead of the storm will bring very dry and unseasonably warm weather to the central and southern Rocky Mountains, along with sometimes breezy conditions through Sunday.
The storm is forecast to wobble eastward late in the weekend, and energy ejecting out of the storm may drag some weak cool fronts through our area on Sunday and Memorial Day. The dry atmosphere on Sunday will preclude much change in the sensible weather, but a better chance of showers will occur Monday afternoon and evening, likely producing more wind than rain as the atmosphere remains relatively dry.
The storm is forecast to graze our area on Tuesday as it moves northeastward out of the Great Basin, with a smaller chance of still mostly windy showers by the afternoon.
A ridge of high pressure builds in behind the departing storm and ahead of another Pacific storm approaching the West Coast on Wednesday. A weak subtropical wave from the southwest may be strong enough to spark some afternoon and evening showers on Wednesday as it moves over Colorado, and there may or may not be a weaker wave for Thursday.
The forecast for the following weekend will likely be determined by the still uncertain evolution of the West Coast storm, though mostly benign weather is expected as the storm track is pushed northward by the strong late-spring sun.
Mostly nice weather for the week
Sunday, May 20, 2018
The storm that produced the unsettled weather for Steamboat Springs this weekend is now east of our area, but another Pacific storm is currently sliding down the West Coast, and will eventually take up residence in the Great Basin for the first half of the work week. Some energy ahead of the storm is currently moving northward across Colorado, and combined with some sun and residual moisture, will bring the chance of late afternoon and early evening storms to our area on this Sunday.
Southwest flow ahead of the storm to our west will bring some warmer and drier air into at least the northwestern corner of Colorado on Monday, likely keeping us warm and dry even as there is a better chance of afternoon and evening storms to our south.
But a wave of energy and moisture ejecting from the Great Basin storm will bring a good chance of afternoon and evening storms to our area on Tuesday.
The storm to our west is forecast to weaken as it moves northeast through the Great Basin by midweek, and we should see dry and warm southwest flow for Wednesday and Thursday as the storm initially passes to our northwest.
Interestingly, the storm is then picked up by the westerly flow along Canadian border, turning our winds westerly later Thursday and then northwesterly on Friday. This northwest flow will contain some moisture, though likely not enough to disrupt our usual sunny mornings, and bring a chance of afternoon and evening storms for Friday that should last through the weekend.
