Weather warms but stays dry after a cool couple of days
Sunday, September 27, 2020
A brisk fall day is over the Steamboat Springs area this Sunday afternoon thanks to several cool fronts that have moved or will move through our region today. There will be only enough moisture associated with the fronts for some clouds today before sunny skies prevail for the upcoming week. But beware of quite cold morning temperatures below freezing this week, with the coldest mornings on Monday and Tuesday possibly reaching the teens.
A warm ridge of high pressure is currently over the West Coast while a series of cold fronts has brought cool conditions to the northern half of the country, save for the Northeast. Pacific energy traveling over the ridge of high pressure is continuing to mix with cold air over Hudson Bay and will bring a final cold front through our area later this afternoon and evening, followed by subsiding winds and very dry air.
With clear skies and calm winds, temperatures will plummet to as low as the teens tonight, ten to fifteen degrees below our average of 31 F. And though there will be sunny skies on Monday, high temperatures are still only expected to reach about five to ten degrees below our average of 66 F.
But temperatures warm under still sunny skies starting Tuesday as the West Coast ridge of high pressure tries to move inland, with high temperatures reaching above average for a delightful day.
In fact, delightful days are expected through the weekend and likely beyond as we remain under the providence of a dominant West Coast Ridge of high pressure. Pacific waves of energy continuing to move over the ridge of high pressure will continue to mix with cold air from the Hudson Bay area, though that weather looks to remain almost completely east of the Continental Divide. I say almost since there are several waves that may be close enough to graze our area starting after midweek, and weather forecast models often struggle with the westward extent of these cold air intrusions, but right now they are forecast to remain over the Midwest.
Precipitation chances are nil for the upcoming week, so enjoy the beautiful weather consisting of cool nights and warm sunny days. My next update to this weather narrative is scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
