Date: 02/18/2015

The high pressure ridge to our west will steer us through dry and mild weather over the next two days. The ridge begins to broaden and flatten through the week, allowing the storm track to dive over Colorado this weekend.  Models are still spread out on how the storm evolves, but we should see some amount of snowfall starting Friday night through Sunday. Stay tuned!

Date: 02/17/2015

It’s going to feel like real winter outside.  A jet streak will nose over Colorado today, bringing strong winds out of the northwest, with alpine wind chills dipping into negative digits. The notorious high pressure ridge begins to rebuild and then flattens over the west coast, shifting the storm track east again, and bringing warmer weather and clearing skies through Wednesday and Thursday. The chance for more snowfall returns by this weekend as another storm tracks over the state from the Northwest.

Date: 02/16/2015

Yesterdays forecasts where for the storm track to pass by to our east. Weather discussions this morning are hinting at that storm track moving slightly more west which will help us see some snow today. Accumulations will still be light as most moisture is east of our mountains. We may see some additional orographic snow on the western and northern boundaries of our forecast area, but that may be wishful thinking. The blocking ridge responsibly for the dry weather we’ve seen in January and February begins rebuilding on Tuesday. Leading us into a warming and drying trend through the week. Longer range, it looks like we’ll see another chance for snow next weekend but we’ll have to wait for more details on that.

Date:

The weather is changing as we’ll be on the edge of two shortwave disturbances. Forecasts have been jumping around on their estimated track of these shortwaves and how they track will determine weather or not we see much snow. Currently the first disturbance will mostly affect Northern Colorado on Sunday night. The 2nd disturbance arriving Monday looks better as it pushes farther south into Colorado, but favors the mountains to our east and mostly affecting the Continental Divide. Both of these shortwaves are arriving on Norwest flow, so we may luck out with some better orographic snow in the mountains west of Crested Butte. We’ll see increasingly clouds today and decreased high temperatures during this period.

Date:

Okay! Now we’re talking… There is hope. We will see another very warm day with clear skies and light winds. Temperatures near 11,000ft look to approach 45ºF today, ahead of a colder disturbance clipping our area Sunday and Monday. The models were once showing the ridge centered farther East, shunting any moisture from reaching us, now centers it farther west, allowing cold, moist air to create some snow potential Sunday evening and Monday. Still quite a lot of uncertainty, and time will tell.