Date: 02/04/2019

For today expect a moist SW flow to continue to bring light snowfall to the Crested Butte area. Accumulations during daylight hours will be amount to just a couple of inches at best as production will come mainly from orographic lift. Tonight’s weather looks to be a bit more unpredictable as a shortwave system passes through the area. For tonight, weather models suggest that another 3 to 6 inches is possible after sunset with locally higher amounts in snow favored location down the spine of the Ruby Range. Snowfall will linger during the day on Tuesday as well The next significant storm continues to make its way towards Crested Butte and is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday.

• Today

  High Temperature: 28 to 33
  Winds/Direction: 12 to 22, SW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 2
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 2
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 2

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 13 to 18
  Winds/Direction: 15 to 25, SW
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 3 to 6″
  Elkton Snow: 3 to 6″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 2 to 5″

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 24 to 29
  Winds/Direction: 15 to 25, SW
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 1 to 3″
  Elkton Snow: 1 to 3″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 3″

Date: 02/03/2019

Heavy, wet snow and strong southwest winds will develop and expand early this morning and bring solid precipitation rates throughout the day. A reinforcing wave embedded in the storm system may spike snowfall rates, drop visibilities, and potentially produce thundersnow midday. Even though models have backed off precipitation slightly from yesterday, they continue to paint accumulations across our area mountains as a quick 1-1.5” of snow water equivalent by this evening, translating to 8-14” snow in snow favored areas like Kebler and Schofield Passes, with closer to 4-8” elsewhere. We get a quick reprieve Monday before yet another, colder system with its origins in Gulf of Alaska on Tuesday and beyond.

• Today

  High Temperature: 25-30
  Winds/Direction: 20-30/SW G50
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 6-10″
  Elkton Snow: 4-8″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 3-6″

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 10-15
  Winds/Direction: 10-20/WSW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 1-3″
  Elkton Snow: 1-3″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-2″

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 25-30
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/WSW
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 0-1″
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 02/02/2019

After a string of mild days and nearly calm winds in the mountains, the next storm system making landfall along the California coast today will spread thickening high clouds across our area and increasing southwesterly winds will throughout the day. Valley inversions will break down slightly faster today with the extra cloud cover. Precipitation does not reach the Elk Mountains until around midnight tonight, and when it does will fall unusually warm and wet. Areas above 7,000ft will avoid raindrops. Although carrying abundant moisture, this storm system moves quickly and should depart late Sunday, however, moist westerly flow remains and could produce lingering orographic snow into Monday. Accumulations at 11,000ft will favor Kebler and Schofield Passes, where 10-20” look possible. Elsewhere, 3-6” looks realistic.

• Today

  High Temperature: 28-33
  Winds/Direction: 10-20/WSW
  Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 15-20
  Winds/Direction: 15-25 G40s
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 3-6″
  Elkton Snow: 1-3″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1-3″

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 25-30
  Winds/Direction: 20-30 SW G 60s
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 5-10″
  Elkton Snow: 4-8″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 3-6″

Date: 02/01/2019

Enjoy the last day for uninterrupted sunshine, before high clouds begin to stream in ahead of our next storm slated for late Saturday evening and into Super Bowl Sunday. Strong inversions with double-digit below zero valley temperatures and ridgetop temperatures at 5am around 20ºF will start us out. Winds are nearly calm this morning, but look for them to increase slightly during the day as the large dome of high pressure pushes eastward. Sunday’s storm looks warm and moist, with the potential for battling a rain-snow line with the initial part of the storm. More snowfall numbers tomorrow but looking 5-10” and another stronger, colder storm hot on its heels for the new work week.

• Today

  High Temperature: 30-35
  Winds/Direction: 0-10/WNW
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 15-20
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 30-35
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/WSW
  Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 01/31/2019

The pattern from yesterday continues to persist with a ridge to our west and a cold trough to our east. This leaves Crested Butte in a WNW flow with cold valley bottoms and moderate temperatures at mountain locations. Expect the possibility of gusty ridge top winds today with high-level clouds working into the area this afternoon. Clouds will be on the increase for Friday as the ridge to the west is slowly displaced eastward. This will bring a change in wind direction with the prevailing direction from the SW and warmer temperatures.

• Today

  High Temperature: 22-27
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, W
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 5 to 10
  Winds/Direction: 3 to 13, W
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 24 to 29
  Winds/Direction: 3 to 13, W
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 01/30/2019

Crested Butte continues to sit between the frigid, arctic air mass in the central portion of the US and the ridge of high-pressure to our west. This means the area will continue to sit under WNW flow. Temperatures at valley bottoms will remain cold, but mountain temperatures above the inversion will warm into the 20’s. A stronger Pacific storm will likely push our current pattern out of the way on Saturday and usher in a stormy period.

• Today

  High Temperature: 22 to 27
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, WNW
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 24 to 29
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, W
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 01/29/2019

Dang, it is a cold morning but thankfully temperatures will come back up to comfortable levels during the day. The area is sitting between a ridge of high-pressure to our west and a low-pressure system over the Upper Plains and Great Lakes region. This setup will keep us in NW flow for another day or two. Daytime high temperatures will be on a steady rise for the next few days. A low-pressure system off the west coast will force the ridge out of the way by the weekend offering the next shot of accumulating snowfall on Saturday or Sunday.

• Today

  High Temperature: 19 to 24
  Winds/Direction: 7 to 17, WNW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: -1 to 4
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, WNW
  Sky Cover: 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: 01/28/2019

Another “clipper” storm is passing through Colorado today from the NW. There is an associated cold front with this system that will help to squeeze the moisture out as it passes by. The Crested Butte area will largely be to the south of this system, but for today you can expect the possibility of a trace to 2 inches accumulation. There are light flurries showing up on the Irwin webcam early this morning. Expect temperatures to remain cool today and become frigid overnight. The rest of the week looks to be dry with the next projected storm to arrive on the weekend.

• Today

  High Temperature: 12 to 17
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, WNW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: trace to 2″
  Elkton Snow: trace to 2″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: trace to 2″

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 20 to 25
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, WNW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 01/27/2019

A high-pressure ridge is to our west and a big low pressure is to our east, while Colorado sits under Northwest flow. The pressure gradient under this northwest flow will keep winds blustery in the alpine today. The clear sky this morning will start to increase with clouds throughout the day, ahead of a little moisture and a cold front moving in tonight. We may see a dusting of snow early Monday morning, then back to hanging out under the mostly dry northwest flow as we look into the start of next week.

• Today

  High Temperature: 23 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, G 30 NW
  Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 10 to 15
  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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 15 to 20
  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

Date: 01/26/2019

Compared to the last week or so, today’s weather and beyond is a bit of a yawner. Not going to belabor the bottom line. Last nights very weak wave of embedded moisture than dropped a skiff on the northern Elks dries up. High and dry ridge of high-pressure slides overhead, as it does, we could get one more shot of light snow tomorrow. Bit of a breather for the weak ahead, model agreement diverges for the end of this week, 6 days out. Potential moisture, but lots of time to let some snow do some settling in the meantime. Expect valley inversions to strengthen.

• Today

  High Temperature: 10-15
  Winds/Direction: 15-25/NNW G40
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0-1″
  Elkton Snow: 0-1″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-1″

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 8-12
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

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