Steamboat Springs area short term weather forecast from Friday night
Friday, February 5, 2016
Brief ridging moves over the area Saturday, though we may see some light snow showers earlier in the day as northwest flow pushed trapped moisture against the Park Range. Another wave moves mostly north and east of our area Saturday night, bringing some cooler temperatures for Sunday.
Friday night: Light snow may linger into the overnight hours with little additional accumulations in the valleys and maybe another inch or so on the hill. Lows around -10 in Craig and 0 in Steamboat.
Saturday: Patchy fog in the valleys eventually turning mostly sunny with light snow showers mixed with some sun on the mountain. Highs around 20.
Saturday night: Mostly cloudy with a chance of snow showers. Lows around zero in Craig and single digits in Steamboat.
Last wave in this storm cycle timed for tonight
Thursday, February 4, 2016
A fast-moving wave in northwest flow will cross the Steamboat Springs tonight, leaving 3-6” for the Friday morning ski report. Snow will end first in the valleys but linger longest on the mountain where an additional inch of two may fall before being followed by partly sunny skies for the afternoon.
Saturday will be snow-free with brief ridging before another wave in northwest flow passes mostly north and east of us, increasing the likelihood of snow showers for Saturday night into Sunday morning and dragging some cool air over our area for Sunday.
Sunny skies and warming temperatures, especially at higher elevations, will begin by Tuesday and last the rest of the work week as the large West Coast ridge builds over the Great Basin. Valleys will have cold morning starts as temperature inversions reform under clear nighttime skies.
Steamboat Springs area short term weather forecast from Thursday night
A wave in northwest flow will pass over the area tonight, increasing snowfall overnight before partly sunny skies appear, first in the valleys and then the mountain.
Thursday night: Snow likely with accumulations around an inch in Craig, 1-3” in Steamboat and 3-6” on the mountain. Lows in the minus single digits in Craig and single digits for Steamboat.
Friday: Snow ending first in the valleys and then finally on the mountain where another inch or two may fall in the morning. Becoming partly sunny with highs in the teens.
Friday night: Cold as temperature inversions reform, with lows around -10 in Craig and near zero in Steamboat.
Another storm tonight before mostly dry weather for the next week
Another round of snows for the Steamboat Ski Area has begun with cloudy skies and light snow on the upper mountain as a wave in northwest flow moves over the area. Snows should increase through overnight before tapering off in the morning Friday, after leaving 3-6” for the morning report and possibly an additional inch or two during the morning after the report.
Brief ridging will be over the area Saturday before another wave in northwest flow crosses mostly north and east of us, bringing another surge of seasonably cold air and light snow showers with minimal accumulations for late Saturday night into Sunday morning.
Cloudy but cool and dry conditions are forecast for Monday before the West Coast ridge builds and moves eastward over the Rocky Mountain spine by Tuesday, bringing plenty of sun and warming mountain temperatures for the rest of the work week. However, temperature inversions will likely reform in the valleys continuing the cold overnight lows there.
Pacific energy from the west and cold Canadian air from the north are forecast to weaken the ridge sometime around next weekend or early the following week, and this may allow storms to once again affect our area.
Video of Third Pitch with the boys
Another great day at the Steamboat Ski Area with mid-80” base up top and the antenna snow stake at the very top of Mount Werner reading 92”. We had about two feet in the past 4 days and temperatures were below zero up top. Mitch, Dean and I skied East Face, then hiked up to Second Pitch, then out the backcountry gate to Third Pitch, where Dean made the sacrifice to stop and shoot the video. It’s about a 10-15 minute hike out with complex terrain, so know before you go!
