Three storms lined up for the upcoming week
Thursday, November 1, 2018
After four inches of snow fell at the top of the Steamboat Ski area this Thursday morning (the Powdercam is back!), more snow is on the way as three more storms make their way over the Steamboat Springs area this upcoming week.
Snow showers will linger for today through Friday morning as favorable cool and moist northwest flow persists behind the departing storm last night. There may be a break in the weather Friday afternoon before the first upcoming storm in northwest flow crosses our area starting Friday evening, along with difficult travel conditions at pass level. Snows will start in the evening and be heaviest overnight with windy conditions, before tapering off through the day Saturday and leaving 4-8” at mid-mountain and 6-12” up top.
Another break in the weather is advertised for Saturday night, but will be quickly followed by a stronger and colder storm starting Sunday morning that is again forecast to move over our area in favorable northwest flow. Weather forecast models agree that this will be a longer duration event, with moderate to even heavy snows likely at peak times between noon on Sunday and noon on Monday before they taper off in the afternoon and end in the evening. I would expect an additional 6-12” at mid-mountain and 8-16” at the higher elevations from this second storm, with difficult travel conditions again likely.
Snows should cease from Monday night through most of Tuesday with still-cold temperatures well below our 50 F average. Another approaching storm in still favorable northwest flow will start the snow showers again by later Tuesday before they end later Wednesday as the storm passes through northern Colorado. While there looks to be less moisture associated with this storm as compared to Monday, it is forecast to be colder, so we may see another 3-6” of low-density, light and fluffy snow at mid-mountain by Wednesday afternoon if the storm stays on track.
Weather forecast models agree on an end-of-work-week break in this storm cycle before disagreeing on the southern extent and proximity of another possible storm for northern Colorado around next weekend.
