Rain chances increase starting midweek
Sunday, July 19, 2020
The Steamboat Springs area has seen another sunny morning with noontime temperatures in the low eighties on this Sunday. We’ll see some low-end shower chances this afternoon before early work week drying precedes a good chance of wetting rains starting on Wednesday and extending through the following weekend.
Though we may see a shower or two near our area this afternoon and early evening, the most noticeable effect if they are close or overhead would be relief from the hot temperatures five degrees or so above our average of 82 F. Incidentally, this average, available on the SnowAlarm home page under the Local Temperatures, Winds & Precipitation heading, has topped out indicating we are in the hottest part of the summer.
As discussed in the last forecast on Thursday, storms to our north are periodically interrupting the monsoonal moisture flow from the south, with one such storm moving across northern Montana tonight. So after a chance of showers this afternoon, most likely at the higher elevations and with more wind than rain, Monday and likely Tuesday stays dry with westerly flow over our area.
But the chance for the eagerly awaited monsoonal rains increases starting on Wednesday as a series of storms moving through the Gulf of Alaska split, with the southern parts of the split leaving an area of low pressure off the West Coast. Pieces of energy from this low pressure area to our west as well as weak and hard to time areas of energy embedded within the monsoonal flow from the south will conspire to produce our best chances for rains so far this summer.
Weather forecast models agree that we will see some wetting rains Wednesday afternoon and overnight as an ill-defined area of energy either from the west or within the moist southerly flow passes nearby. There will also be chances for showers for the following days, though chances decrease and become more confined to the afternoon or early evening. Regardless of whether we see rain and the amounts, it does appear that afternoon clouds will be numerous and temper the above average temperatures of late, though the cool overnight lows will likely increase in response to the insulating effects of a wetter atmosphere.
There is currently a good chance of a robust surge of moisture forecast over our area sometime around next weekend or early during the next work week, though weather forecast models are not consistent with the timing, either among themselves or each other. And the longer range models also disagree on whether the increased moisture hangs around for the rest of the month. I hope to have more details about this cooler and wetter pattern for my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Thursday afternoon.
Modest chances for showers this week
Thursday, July 16, 2020
Partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the low eighties are observed in Steamboat Springs early this Thursday afternoon. Shower chances will come and go during the upcoming week as monsoonal moisture from the south is intermittently interrupted by passing storms to our north.
Some moisture is now over our area as a result of southerly flow on the west side of a flat ridge of high pressure over the southern half of the U.S. Though areas to our south will be favored for rains, there may be enough moisture for some afternoon and evening showers both today and Friday. Since the lower levels of the atmosphere are quite dry, these showers will likely produce more wind than rain.
This moist flow from the south will be interrupted several times this upcoming week as storms to our north shift our winds to be more from the drier west. Right now, it looks like the atmosphere will dry out on Saturday as a storm moves to our north before shower chances return for Sunday.
Another storm to our north might dry things out for Monday and Tuesday before flow from the south briefly resumes around midweek for another day or two of increased shower chances.
Meanwhile, a storm is forecast to move across the Pacific Northwest late in the work week, and there may be enough southerly flow ahead of the storm to force a healthy plume of monsoonal moisture northward across Arizona. We should see some drying for the end of the work week before that monsoonal moisture plume is forecast to be bent eastward as the storm moves eastward, increasing the chance of showers again over our area around the following weekend.
So generally normal summer weather for the upcoming week, with the specifics dependent upon the outcome of the battle between the southern ridge of high pressure and the northern storms. Hopefully we can get some rain before my next weather narrative scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Modest chances for rain showers today and Monday ahead of Tuesday cool front
Sunday, July 12, 2020
A batch of mid-level atmospheric moisture has brought clouds and comfortable temperatures in the mid-seventies to Steamboat Springs this Sunday noon. Several more batches of moisture follow later today and Monday, with modest chances that we will see wetting rains today and Monday ahead of a cool front timed for Monday night or early Tuesday. Other than slightly cooler temperatures on a dry Tuesday, we’ll see breezy westerly winds around the front on both Monday and Tuesday before winds relax and temperatures rise by midweek. There may another couple of batches of moisture for modest shower chances around Thursday and Saturday afternoons as well.
Currently, a ridge of high pressure sits over the southwestern quarter of the U.S. while a storm is moving across British Columbia. Some monsoonal moisture has made it into our area from the southwest, leading to the possibility of some showers this afternoon and evening.
The storm in British Columbia is forecast to move east across southern Canada and drag a cool front through our area later Monday night or early Tuesday. Winds will increase ahead of and behind the cool front Monday and Tuesday, along with more showers possible on Monday and a slightly cooler but dry Tuesday.
Temperatures increase to above our average of 82 F starting midweek as a ridge of high pressure rebuilds behind the grazing cool front. Weather forecast models predict another couple of batches of moisture for some shower chances around Thursday and Saturday afternoons, though that forecast is subject to change as that will depend on exactly how and where the ridge of high pressure rebuilds. Stay tuned to my next weather narrative on Thursday afternoon to see how these next batches of moisture evolve.
Another hot and dry weather week ahead
Thursday, July 9, 2020
The current hot and dry weather over Steamboat Springs this past week looks to continue for the following week, with even hotter temperatures forecast through the weekend. There may be some heat relief midway through the next work week, but significant rainfall looks unlikely through this forecast period.
A summer ridge of high pressure over the western two thirds of the U.S. is battling a stormy area over the Gulf of Alaska, and the ridge is handily winning over our area as storms from the Gulf periodically travel across the northern Rockies.
One such storm will move across Montana on Friday and produce a breezy afternoon with winds from the west. Another stronger storm crosses the British Columbia coast this weekend, with the southwesterly flow ahead of the storm encouraging the ridge to build even more over most of the West. While the Bob Adams airport in Steamboat Springs reached 89 F this past Tuesday, nineties are in our future as soon as Friday. These hot temperatures are well above our average high of 81 F and look to last into the next work week.
Chances for precipitation are close to nil for the next few days, and only slight for Sunday afternoon as sparse monsoonal moisture is drawn over the Desert Southwest and toward our area ahead of the British Columbia storm. But this moisture will be high based, and while we may see some clouds at times that would moderate the hot temperatures, any precipitation is likely to evaporate before reaching the ground, producing virga, and more wind than rain.
As the British Columbia storm moves eastward across the northern Rockies early in the work week, winds will increase from the west again which will increase fire weather concerns. But the storm looks to be strong enough to drag a weak cool front near our area around Tuesday and Wednesday, and this will help limit the afternoon temperatures to the eighties.
In addition to some heat relief, there may be some moisture around for the possibility of showers, though that is very uncertain at this time. Not only may there be some moisture associated with the cool front, but the storm is forecast to be strong enough to displace the ridge of high pressure eastward, perhaps allowing some monsoonal moisture from the south to move northward along its west side and toward our area.
There are indications in the longer term weather forecast models that this weak tap of monsoonal moisture may persist through the rest of the work week and headed into the following weekend, though areas to our south would be favored if that occurred. However, the monsoonal surges predicted by the longer range models have not been verifying well so far this season, so I would classify that forecast as optimistic.
I’ll discuss the cool-down for next week and the possible appearance of some moisture in my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Sunday afternoon.
Hot and dry weather for the upcoming week
Sunday, July 5, 2020
The temperature is already 80 F in sunny Steamboat Springs this Sunday noon on the way to the mid-eighties. Building clouds, if they occur over our area, may take the edge off the heat this afternoon, though these storms, like yesterday, would likely produce more wind than rain. But today will be our last chance for any rainfall until mid-next weekend as hot, dry and sometimes breezy to windy weather is expected through the upcoming work week.
A ridge of high pressure loosely centered over the central U.S. will build westward over our area through the work week as a persistent area of storminess over the Gulf of Alaska keeps a series of storms moving through the jet stream located across the northern Rockies. While dry air and hot temperatures five to ten degrees above our average high of 80 F will be the rule this upcoming week, afternoon winds will periodically increase ahead of and along with the Gulf of Alaska storms passing to our north.
One such storm crosses the Pacific Northwest on Monday, so breezy to windy southwest flow is expected on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday as the storm passes well to our north.
Behind that storm, the ridge of high pressure to our east moves westward and over our area by the end of the work week, decreasing winds but keeping the hot temperatures around.
Additionally, another Gulf of Alaska storm is forecast to cross the Pacific Northwest mid-next weekend as a strong tropical storm moves west of the Baja peninsula. There is a chance that some moisture from the Baja storm will be drawn northeastward in the southwesterly flow ahead of the Gulf of Alaska storm, though weather forecast models disagree on whether the Gulf of Alaska storm will be strong enough for that to occur.
So there may be some rain chances by next weekend, or not, and I’ll be discussing this possibility in my next weather narrative scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
