Unsettled weekend followed by warming and drying
Thursday, May 17, 2018
A Pacific storm complex will move across the Great Basin on Friday and bring a weekend of unsettled weather to the Steamboat Springs area. Dry and warm southwesterly flow ahead of the storm will continue our gorgeous late-spring weather for today and most of Friday, though we may see a chance of some late day storms tomorrow as moisture and energy from the approaching storm move over our area.
As the storm moves east of the Rocky Mountains on Saturday, a cool front will wash over our area and eventually the entire state. Showery and cool weather will accompany the front and linger behind it during the day Saturday, and there may be some snow at the top of Mt. Werner.
Conditions should improve on Sunday, with some warming temperatures and a chance of afternoon storms.
Another Pacific storm crosses the West Coast on Monday, and the southwest flow ahead of that storm will bring much warmer and drier weather into Colorado during the day.
This next storm is forecast to wobble across the Great Basin on Tuesday before some of the storm passes to our northwest. Some moisture and energy may graze our area on Tuesday, bringing the best chance of afternoon storms for the work week.
Some of the weakening storm is left behind in the Great Basin by Wednesday as it elongates to the northeast, with a chance of afternoon storms Wednesday if the northeastward-departing part is close enough to our area.
There should be a reduced chance of afternoon storms on Thursday before remnants of the storm left behind in the Great Basin eventually pass over our area toward the end of the work week, bringing a better chance of afternoon storms for Friday.
The forecast is muddled for the following weekend as models disagree on the fate of another Pacific storm that may or may not affect our area.
