Wintry storm to arrive Saturday night
Thursday, November 5, 2020
Similar to the last several days, the temperature in Steamboat Springs is 63 F this Thursday afternoon, and we should see another degree or two of warming today under bluebird skies. A strong wintry storm off the Pacific Northwest coast will move inland over the weekend, bringing breezy southwest winds ahead of the storm and snow behind it by early Sunday morning. A quickly-following storm brings another round of snow on Monday with a break on Tuesday before another storm passes through on Wednesday, with more unsettled weather forecast for the following weekend.
The last two weeks of warm and mostly sunny fall weather looks to come to an end by mid-weekend as a couple of wintry storms travel across the West. We should see some effects from the first storm on Friday with breezy winds from the southwest, followed by more wind on Saturday and increasing clouds, but still mild temperatures running ten to fifteen degrees or so above our average of 48 F.
Precipitation may start as rain after midnight on Saturday, though will quickly turn to snow as the first storm passes over Colorado with its attendant cold front, perhaps with a rumble or two of thunder. While the southern areas of the state will do the best in the generally southwest to southerly flow, the storm is strong enough to bring 1-4” of snow to our area, with the higher amounts at the higher elevations.
Following quickly on the heels of this first storm is a a second storm that will affect our area on Monday, with more favorable winds first from the west and then the northwest. So we’ll see a short break between storms, with snow showers tapering off Sunday morning before possibly ending for the afternoon and part of the night. But snows pick up again Monday and become heaviest in the afternoon as the second cold front passes through and the winds turn to be from the northwest. Snow showers will become more intermittent overnight before ending by Tuesday morning, leaving an additional 2-5” of accumulation, again with the higher amounts at the higher elevations.
We’ll see a break on Tuesday before another storm with a similar track out of the northwest brings more snow starting on Wednesday. Snow showers through the day should become heaviest overnight before becoming lighter on Thursday and ending by Friday morning, with another 2-5” of accumulations possible.
While Friday and some of Saturday are currently looking dry, another storm is forecast to bring more snowfall to our area starting mid-weekend. And for what its worth, this one is looking like the best of the week for our area as more continuous snowfall lasting 36 hours or so into the following Monday is currently advertised. With our active week of predicted snowy weather, stay tuned to my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Sunday afternoon for updates to the forecast.
Gorgeous work week ahead of winter weather for the weekend
Sunday, November 1, 2020
The Steamboat Springs area is seeing sunny skies and a temperature of 53 F early this Sunday afternoon. The current beautiful and uneventful weather is forecast to continue largely through the work week before the next wintry storm approaches our area around next weekend.
An expansive ridge of high pressure is currently centered over the West Coast between an area of storminess in the Gulf of Alaska and a cold storm over the Great Lakes. As the ridge slowly moves east, we should see temperatures this week in the fifties, above our average of 50 F, with the Monday high temperatures tickling the sixty degree mark. The only thing that will interrupt our gorgeous weather with warm sunny days and cool clear nights is an area of low pressure currently off the southern coast of California that is forecast to move over Colorado from Tuesday night through Wednesday. We should see increasing cloudiness later Tuesday and some clouds and slightly cooler temperatures on Wednesday with a minute chance of a stray shower.
Meanwhile, a chunk of cold air from the North Pole is forecast to drop into the persistent area of storminess churning away in the Gulf of Alaska and force a wintry storm across the West Coast around Friday. While there is weather forecast model agreement that the storm will be on the move, there is disagreement with the timing and evolution of the storm, with the American GFS favoring an earlier arrival by midday Saturday and the European ECMWF holding off till overnight.
Regardless of the exact timing, we should see a warm and sunny Thursday before winds substantially increase from the southwest as the storm crosses the West Coast and travels across the Great Basin sometime on Friday or early Saturday. We may see some showers break out ahead of the strong cold front expected sometime on Saturday, with cold temperatures and snow likely on Sunday.
There is weather forecast model agreement that some trailing energy and moisture will keep the wintry weather around on Monday as the snows become more showery and taper off. While Tuesday is looking mostly dry, but cool, another wintry storm is forecast to form in the Gulf of Alaska on Monday and may affect our area around midweek.
Enjoy the pleasant weather this work week as an active jet stream looks to end the mild fall weather starting this weekend. But stay tuned to my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Thursday afternoon for more details about our next wintry storm.
Beautiful warm and sunny weather on tap for the upcoming week
Thursday, October 29, 2020
Temperatures have finally recovered towards average late this sunny Thursday afternoon behind the wintry storm that started last Sunday and brought about 10” of snow around town and a brutally cold -10 F Tuesday morning. Other than a grazing cool front on Saturday that will bring some breezes, expect warm sunny days and cool nights for the upcoming week, with high temperatures reaching the sixties by Monday.
Currently, a shallow ridge of high pressure extending from the Mississippi River to the West Coast has built behind the wintry storm, bringing sunny skies and moderating temperatures to our area. High temperatures tomorrow will reach a bit above our average of 52 F for the first time since last Saturday under sunny skies.
A quick-moving storm now passing through the Gulf of Alaska will graze our area on Saturday, knocking temperatures back a bit while bringing some breezes first from the west and then the northwest by the afternoon.
A couple of upstream storms are forecast to mix with some very cold air from around the North Pole as they pass through the Bering Sea before merging and creating a powerful storm in the Gulf of Alaska by the end of the weekend. Ahead of that storm and behind the grazing Saturday storm, a strong ridge of high pressure is forecast to build over the West Coast and moves inland through the work week. Expect mostly sunny skies with warm temperatures from Sunday through most of the rest of the work week, reaching the sixties by Monday.
Enjoy the warm and sunny week as more wintry weather is advertised to arrive around the following weekend. The Gulf of Alaska storm is forecast to be reinforced by additional waves of energy from areas further north before the storm complex makes landfall near the Pacific Northwest near the end of the work week. The timing and strength of the storm is likely to change over the upcoming week, but right now it looks like the wintry weather arrives around Sunday.
And for what its worth, this may reflect a more enduring pattern change as the air mass over the North Pole is split by ridges of high pressure that are forecast to form over both the Gulf of Alaska and the Urals in western Russia. Research has shown that this splitting may lead to winter weather outbreaks in the Northern Hemisphere, so there is hope for a strong start to the ski season, which for the Steamboat Ski Area, is a mere three weeks from Saturday. I’ll know more about this promising pattern change by my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Sunday afternoon.
Cold persists through midweek behind wintry storm
Sunday, October 25, 2020
The current wintry storm arrived early Sunday morning as advertised, and I measured almost 8” on my deck by 2:30 pm this Sunday afternoon. Along with the snow, temperatures are currently in the low-teens, with little hope of warming until Monday afternoon when the storm ends and the sun returns. Bitterly cold morning temperatures likely below zero will start the week on Monday and Tuesday before temperatures moderate by Wednesday and warm further for the rest of the work week under dry skies.
The current amplified jet stream pattern highlights a ridge of high pressure off the West Coast and a deep and cold storm over the Great Basin and central Rocky Mountain states. We may see another few hours of enhanced snowfall heading toward sunset today, but snows should become lighter through the night before tapering off on Monday morning with another several inches falling.
Very cold low temperatures, likely below zero will occur tomorrow morning, and after the snowfall ends during the morning we should see periods of sunshine in the afternoon as the storm sinks into the Desert Southwest. But the new snow and cold air mass will limit the warming and keep highs below freezing.
As cold as Monday morning will be, if the skies clear Monday night as expected, Tuesday morning could be even colder. But we’ll see sun during the day, so the high temperature should rise to above freezing when combined with the warming air mass behind the departing storm.
A Pacific storm currently over the Bering Sea will partially flatten and move the ridge of high pressure off the West Coast eastward through the upcoming week, passing over the Rocky Mountains around Friday. Expect plenty of sun and gradually warming temperatures through the work week, with highs finally returning towards our average of 54 F on Friday.
But the ridge of high pressure keeps moving eastward, and a dry wave will pass through our area sometime during next weekend, with only a slight cool down expected. Warming temperatures and more sun should follow heading into the following work week, with a weak storm possibly bringing a chance of precipitation back to our area around midweek. I’ll know more about the possible cool front this coming weekend by my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Thursday afternoon.
Weather turns wintry on Sunday
Thursday, October 22, 2020
The Steamboat Springs area is seeing brilliant sunny skies and steady temperatures in the mid-fifties late this Thursday afternoon. The dry cool front currently passing through our area will knock temperatures back a bit for Friday before they recover on Saturday. But enjoy the next two nice days as a winter-like storm is forecast to bring snow to all elevations on Sunday. While total accumulations are still uncertain, the cold air associated with the storm is not, with Sunday and Monday the coldest days of the upcoming week, and low temperatures on both Monday and Tuesday in the single digits.
The dry cool front moving through northern Colorado has battled the usual afternoon warming, leaving temperatures nearly steady in the mid-fifties. While there was once some light snow showers forecast for the higher elevations of north-central Colorado tonight, current weather forecast models now keep most of that in Wyoming.
Temperatures will warm under mostly sunny skies behind the front on Friday, though high temperatures look to remain five or so degrees below our average of 56 F. Ahead of the winter-like storm forecast for Sunday, we may see high temperatures closer to or a bit above average on Saturday, with increasing cloudiness and breezy to windy westerly winds; not a good forecast for the wildfires around the state. For us at least, the westerly winds should keep the closest Middle Fork fire and its smoke away from town.
Meanwhile, a storm currently off the Yukon coast will mix with some very cold air from around the North Pole and form a potent winter-like storm that is forecast to clip British Columbia on Friday and cross the Pacific Northwest on Saturday. An additional wave of energy will join the storm as it crosses the Great Basin later Saturday, causing the storm to split by Sunday morning even as light precipitation begins over our area as soon as Saturday night.
Any liquid precipitation overnight at the lower elevations will quickly turn to snow as the strong cold front moves through early Sunday morning. Light to moderate snowfall rates in town and moderate to heavy snowfall rates at pass level and above will make for difficult driving conditions during Sunday, especially with the rapidly falling temperatures. Travel should best be completed by Saturday night or postponed until Monday to avoid the worst of the storm.
The splitting storm creates uncertainty for the snowfall forecast from later Sunday and through Monday. Weather forecast models hint at an eddy forming over the Desert Southwest or Four Corners region, and whether and where it forms and how quickly it moves will affect our snowfall. Currently, my best guess is 4-8” in town and 8-16” at the higher elevations from the storm, and while snowfall looks to become more showery by Sunday night, it is not clear if the showers continue into Monday or the sun appears during the day. But what is clear are the very cold, possibly single digit low temperatures for Monday and Tuesday that are ten to twenty degrees below our average low of 25 F. Monday will likely be the coldest day of the week with temperatures struggling to rise much above freezing, though they will rise on Tuesday to around a more respectable 40 F.
While the evolution of the storm after Tuesday is very much up for debate, it likely won’t matter for our area as a flat ridge of high pressure is forecast to build behind the storm and bring warming temperatures by midweek. The warming trend may be interrupted on Thursday by a grazing storm to our northeast, but should return for Friday. Longer-range models do have another storm around next weekend, which at this point looks much drier and quicker-moving than this Sunday’s storm.
Stay tuned for my next weather forecast narrative on Sunday afternoon for the latest on this winter-like storm. which I hope to be writing as the snow is falling.
