Steamboat Springs area short term weather forecast from Saturday night
Saturday, March 26, 2016
After a cool start to the day Sunday, temperatures will warm for tomorrow and Monday with partly to mostly sunny skies. The next storm dropping south along the West coast on Sunday will bring clouds and breezy southwest winds to the area by later Monday.
Tuesday will be a transition day as the storm approaches with rain showers in the valleys and snow showers on the hill starting as soon as the morning. Snow levels will fall to the valley bottoms when the cold front passes, currently timed for Tuesday evening but subject to change as we get closer to the event. Significant snows are forecast for Tuesday night and Wednesday before a short break is currently forecast for Thursday morning.
Another wave passing over the area from the north will bring a surge of cold air from the Canadian Plains and a final round of snows to end the work week.
Steamboat Springs area short term weather forecast from Friday night
Friday, March 25, 2016
Snow showers will continue tonight as the southern part of the splitting storm moves south of our area. Models yesterday had more significant snows over our area for tonight than is currently advertised, so with 1-4” of snow overnight, the Saturday morning ski report should be around 3-6”.
Snow showers will continue tomorrow with only small accumulations on the hill and none in the valleys.
Temperatures will warm for Sunday and Monday with partly to mostly sunny skies before the next storm dropping south along the West coast on Sunday brings clouds to the area later Monday. Possibly significant snows are forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday with cool temperatures and unsettled weather lasting for the work week.
Steamboat Springs area short term weather forecast from Thursday night
Thursday, March 24, 2016
A Pacific storm just to our northwest will split tonight as it approaches our area, with the northern part of the split traveling over northern Colorado around sunrise tomorrow. Breezy west-northwest winds, with some westerly winds around sunrise, will drive orographic or terrain-driven snows, where higher elevations will see more snow than lower elevations. Snows will increase tonight becoming heaviest between midnight tonight and noon Friday. I expect 3-6” on the mountain for the Friday morning report and some Steamboat Magic after that bringing an additional 2-5” by noon.
Steamboat will likely see around 1-3” by the morning with another 1-3” during the morning, while Craig will be closer to an inch overnight and again during the day Friday, with possibly mixed rain-snow showers during the day.
The second half of the split will affect our area Friday night as the storm head to the Four Corners by Saturday, bringing another 3-6” overnight Friday for a 5-11” Saturday morning ski report. Snow showers will persist on the mountain Saturday while they linger in the valleys.
Moisture decreases but looks to hang around for Sunday and Monday keeping showers around for the afternoons though the mornings should see sun. Temperatures will warm considerably for these days compared to the beginning of the weekend.
The next possibly significant storm may begin affecting our area by Tuesday.
Steamboat Springs area short term weather forecast from Wednesday night
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
A minor wave passing over the area tonight may lead to 1-4” of accumulations on the mountain in addition to the 4” or 5” they received during the day today, and perhaps up to an inch in Steamboat.
Thursday will be a transition day between the departing storm and an approaching storm and only light snow showers are expected.
An approaching Pacific storm in still favorable northwest flow will begin precipitation Thursday night in mainly orographic or terrain-driven flow. Higher elevations will see more snow than lower elevations, and current forecasts have 2-4” on the mountain for each of the three twelve hour periods between sunset Thursday and sunrise Saturday, leaving 6-12” for a storm total by Saturday morning.
Steamboat will see around an inch for each of those periods, with melting snow limiting accumulations during the day Friday. Craig will likely see non-accumulating snow showers for Thursday and Friday nights, with a rain-snow mix during the day Friday.
Moisture looks to hang around for most of the weekend and possibly into Monday keeping a mix of clouds and sun in the area, with possibly some light snow showers on the mountain for Saturday.
Temperatures will warm considerably by Sunday and last through Monday as a transitory ridge moves over the area.
The next possibly significant storm may begin affecting our area by Tuesday.
Steamboat Springs area short term weather forecast from Tuesday night
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
The cold front has certainly taken its time today as it is now forecast to cross the area this evening bringing a burst of heavy snowfall down to the valley bottoms and making travel difficult. Light to moderate snows will follow behind the front in cooler and wet mostly northwesterly to northerly flow and last through noon or so on Wednesday. Furthermore, as the storm crosses the Rockies and intensifies to our east, there is a possibility of a TROWAL forming behind the storm which may produce another round of Steamboat Magic for Wednesday morning.
There is model uncertainty with respect to the timing of the front and the intensity of snowfall behind it, but current forecasts may have as much as 8-16” between Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon on the mountain and 3-6” in the valleys.
Snow showers will likely stick around from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday in cool and moist northwest flow before another Pacific storm in still favorable northwest flow approaches the area for Friday and Saturday.
