First snow possible at the Steamboat Ski Resort this week
Sunday, October 1, 2023
Mostly cloudy skies with temperatures in the upper sixties and gusty winds from the south are over the Steamboat Springs area early this Sunday afternoon. An approaching storm will bring a cold front through our area later Monday along with sharply colder temperatures for Tuesday and a chance for precipitation which would be snow on the upper half of the Steamboat Ski Resort. Those chances persist to start Wednesday before the sun returns and temperatures moderate through the rest of the work week.
A large storm in the form of an eddy currently over Nevada is forecast to move through Utah on Monday and bring a cold front through our area that afternoon or evening. Ahead of that, the mostly cloudy skies with afternoon temperatures right around our average of 67 F will continue today before skies clear overnight and we see a mostly sunny start to Monday.
But clouds and winds will increase during the day with showers breaking out after noon ahead of the cold front associated with the storm that should move through in the afternoon or evening. The amount of moisture associated with the storm as it affects our area is uncertain as dry air from southern Arizona has been drawn into the eddy. Additionally, the eddy is forecast to lose its identity overnight on Monday as upstream energy forces it to rejoin the jet stream.
The end result is temperatures cold enough for snow on the hill by Tuesday morning, but likely decreasing moisture that might yield a dusting to an inch around and above mid mountain and modest rainfall amounts at the lower elevations. High temperatures for the day will nosedive into the mid fifties in town and upper thirties up top on Tuesday as the main wave moves past.
That upstream energy eventually moves overhead Tuesday night and may have enough moisture to keep the snow showers going at the higher elevations into Wednesday, but skies are expected to begin clearing by the afternoon. And locals know that a clear sky overnight after a cold front means a cold start to the day, with upper twenties forecast for Thursday morning, which is around five degrees below our average of 32 F.
Temperatures will recover into the mid sixties on what will start as a crisp and sunny fall day on Thursday, with continued sunny skies and high temperatures nearing seventy degrees as we start the weekend. It looks like the nice fall weather will continue through next weekend, but be sure to check back as I’ll know more about that in my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Thursday afternoon.
