Date: 12/10/2019

The clouds and lingering flurries have exited the area overnight with mostly clear skies expected today with light winds. A light inversion has set up overnight, under clearer skies, with valley bottoms pushing just below 0. The weather will be uneventful today and tomorrow. Late Wednesday a very weak disturbance will quickly pass over the area but will bring very little moisture and is not expected to produce much snowfall if any at all.
The next significant snow producers will begin to impact the area on late Thursday night. This system looks like it will establish a zonal flow for several days with the possibility of significant snow accumulations through the weekend. Stay tuned over the next couple of days as this system gets closer. It is looking like we will have a snowy weekend coming up.

• Today

  High Temperature: 25 to 29
  Winds/Direction: 7 to 17, WNW
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 6 to 10
  Winds/Direction: 7 to 17, W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 24 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, WSW
  Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/09/2019

Yesterday’s storm has shifted eastward leaving the area under a WNW flow. This flow will keep some cloud cover and a few flakes falling to the north and west of Crested Butte, but areas close to town and to the east will have clearer skies. Temperatures will remain comfortable even under northwest flow. As the day progresses, skies will continue to clear and a ridge of high pressure will build into Tuesday leaving us with drier weather through Thursday. The next snowmaker looks to arrive close to the weekend.

• Today

  High Temperature: 21 to 25
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 1 to 5
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 25 to 30
  Winds/Direction: 7 to 17, WNW
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/08/2019

Here we go…the incoming storm has started to produce accumulating snowfall very early this morning. This system will pile up snow today, tonight, and even linger into Monday. There are a few factors that could potentially boost snow production to the higher end of forecast totals, the first is an associated cold front and the second is good jet support. Currently, wind directions are from the southwest but will swing around to the northwest as the trough axis passes overhead midday. Expect 7″ to 18″ to fall across the CBAC forecast area by Monday morning with the deepest snowfall accumulating from Irwin to Schofield Pass. Winds are expected to be moderate and have enough strength to redistribute the new snow.
Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be dry with clearer skies, but this dry period will be short-lived as models suggest a return to snowy weather before the end of the week.

• Today

  High Temperature: 22 to 26
  Winds/Direction: 12 to 22, SSW transitioning to WNW by the afternoon
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 8 to 10
  Elkton Snow: 8 to 10
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 7 to 9

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 9 to 13
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 22, WNW
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 4 to 6
  Elkton Snow: 3 to 5
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 2 to 4

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 18 to 22
  Winds/Direction: 12 to 22, NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 2
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 2
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

Date: 12/07/2019

Strong temperature inversions will greet you out the door this morning with Crested Butte sitting at -4ºF at 5am, and higher elevations hovering in the mid to upper 20s. Winds will remain generally light from the west, but increasing ahead of tomorrow’s incoming storm throughout the day. The ridge of high pressure that has brought us two days of brilliant sunshine will slide east late tonight, with snow developing after midnight. At this time, accumulations look to range from 4-8” with areas west and north of Crested Butte looking at snow totals closer to 12”+ by sunset on Sunday.

• Today

  High Temperature: 30-35
  Winds/Direction: 10-20/WSW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 15-20
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/WNW
  Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 1-3″
  Elkton Snow: 1-3″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-2″

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 20-25
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 5-10″
  Elkton Snow: 4-8″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 3-6″

Date: 12/06/2019

Yesterday’s storm has moved stage right and we will enjoy a beautiful day of strong sunshine and minimal wind at all elevations. Temperatures will start cold in the mid-teens this morning, but rebound nicely to near 32ºF. Winds look to remain light until later in the weekend ushering in our next potential storm Sunday. Still a bit distant to throw out potential snow totals for Sunday, but flakes will fly and should be a nice refresh.

• Today

  High Temperature: 25-30
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 10-15
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 28-32
  Winds/Direction: 10-20/WSW
  Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/05/2019

A small low-pressure system is currently spinning moisture into our area as it crosses the Utah border this morning. This system will give us some storm energy and lift as it passes through the area to turn the available moisture into snowfall. The best snowfall today will be during the AM hours too early afternoon. It looks like we should see storm totals hitting the 4” to 10” range depending on where you are located in our forecast area. There are a couple of dry slots spinning around the low-pressure and adding some uncertainty. As they could cause breaks in the snowfall or lower total snow accumulations. Don’t get dry slotted CB! Winds are increasing this morning with the start of the snow. Those winds will stay elevated at upper elevations this morning, but this otherwise isn’t a particularly windy storm.

High-pressure ridging and dryer weather comes in for Friday. Moisture will start building on Saturday and the next storm is still lined up for the end of the weekend. We’ll work on those details tomorrow.

• Today

  High Temperature: 27 to 31
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, W
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 4 to 8
  Elkton Snow: 4 to 8
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 2 to 4

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 14-18
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, WSW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 28 to 32
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, W
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/04/2019

A closed low is currently hanging out in California surfing the beach break. That low pressure will push moisture into Colorado on southwest flow today. We’ll see building clouds, becoming overcast and possibly spitting a few flakes in the late afternoon. A shortwave disturbance in the flow arrives overnight to help get the snowmaker going. WSW winds will start to become west and increase with the snow, but those increased winds don’t look to stay elevated on Thursday. The general 3-6” is looking legit, with peek precipitation currently around the 6am to 10am the timeframe. The Kebler Pass and Paradise Divide areas could luck out beet the high end of those snow numbers.

Snowfall will taper off through Thursday as we look towards a drier west-northwest flow for Friday and Saturday. The next storm currently looks to arrive for Sunday-Monday.

• Today

  High Temperature: 29 to 33
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 18 to 22
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, WSW
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 3 to 5
  Elkton Snow: 3 to 5
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 2 to 4

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 27 to 31
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, W
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 3 to 5
  Elkton Snow: 3 to 5
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 2 to 4

Date: 12/03/2019

Warm and Gusty winds about sums up today’s weather. A disturbance passing to the north will toss a few flakes our way and bring mostly cloudy sky, while the upper-level jet is passing overhead and keeping winds elevated for the day. That Jet starts to drop south tonight as we see wind speeds ease off and overnight low temperatures dropdown around 20.

The next low-pressure system will start pushing moisture back into Colorado on Wednesday under southwest flow. We’ll see mostly cloudy to the overcast sky again, but nothing too exciting on the snow front as most of the storm’s energy stays south of our area. By Wednesday night and into Thursday Morning a shortwave or disturbance in that southwest flow looks to turn that available moisture into a few inches of snow for our area.

Drier weather returns for Friday and into the weekend with the next potential storm currently looking to arrive Sunday night through Monday.

• Today

  High Temperature: 30 to 34
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20 G30, West
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 18 to 22
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, WSW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 29 to 31
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, WSW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

Date: 12/02/2019

The axis of the high-pressure ridge slid to the east late last night, Crested Butte finds itself on the warmer side under WSW flow. Temperatures are 15 or so degrees warmer early this morning as compared to yesterday. A low-pressure system is on the California coast and headed inland, but this system will ride the ridge of high-pressure up and over most of Colorado. The Crested Butte area will receive some clouds and maybe a trace of new snow tonight into Tuesday. In short, the next three days look to have mild temperatures with some clouds as we are on the bottom edge of this system. Wednesday night into Thursday looks to be the next best chance at snowfall. It is too early to think much about this storm towards the second half of the week, but the good news is that we should be back in the snow soon enough.

• Today

  High Temperature: 30 to 34
  Winds/Direction: 6 to 16, WSW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0″
  Elkton Snow: 0″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0″

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 14 to 18
  Winds/Direction: 6 to 16, W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1″
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1″

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 27 to 31
  Winds/Direction: 6 to 16, W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1″
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1″

Date: 12/01/2019

BRRRRRR….This morning sure feels like classic Gunnison Valley. As the storm moved out yesterday and skies cleared, temperatures dropped for valley bottom locations overnight reaching single digits below zero. Temperatures are a bit more comfortable at mountain locations sitting a little above zero. A ridge of high pressure is building over Colorado for the next few days, but a weak short wave disturbance will brush by the northern part of the state on Monday but will do little more than produce some clouds for our area. High pressure looks to persist through the middle of the week before a system works its way into the Four Corners area later in the week.

For today you can expect temperatures to rebound to more comfortable levels and winds should ease back throughout the days as well. Today is looking like a crisp, sunny Colorado day.

• Today

  High Temperature: 21 to 25
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, WNW
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0″
  Elkton Snow: 0″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0″

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 8 to 12
  Winds/Direction: 4 to 14, WNW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0″
  Elkton Snow: 0″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0″

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 27 to 31
  Winds/Direction: 3 to 13, WSW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0″
  Elkton Snow: 0″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0″