Spring returns in time for the weekend

Thursday, May 3, 2018

Well, the advertised storm sure did not disappoint, with 21” of snow shown on the Winter Park Snow Stake Cam and 19” reported at Loveland this afternoon. Steamboat’s Powdercam showed about 7.5”. The Berthoud Pass SNOTEL site reported 16” of snow containing 1.7” of water, representative of the very dense snow from this warm storm where the temperatures only got down to 28F at the Tower SNOTEL site, just north of Steamboat at 10,500′, and 27F at the Berthoud Pass site 1000′ higher.

Winter departs the area as the storm continues moving eastward and a ridge of high pressure builds over the western states. The Steamboat Springs area should see plenty of sun and warming temperatures starting Friday and lasting through the weekend , with only a slight chance of an afternoon shower.

A Pacific storm traveling through the ridge of high pressure will bring a better chance of afternoon storms on Monday that may extend into the early evening.

The western ridge rebuilds for Tuesday bringing a warm and likely sunny day as shown by the American GFS, though the European ECMWF grazes northern Colorado with some trailing energy and moisture behind the late Monday storm that may spark some afternoon storms.

The American GFS and the European ECMWF disagree on the track and timing of a couple more Pacific storms largely traveling across the northern states. Regardless, generally benign and pleasant weather is forecast for the rest of the work week, with some afternoon storms possible on the days where the Pacific storms graze our area.

More of the same is forecast for the following weekend, though a shift southward in any of the grazing Pacific storms may bring some weather into our area.