Date: 12/16/2018

Another nice day is on tap for the Crested Butte area. We are currently sitting under a ridge of high pressure with a southwestern flow pushing warmer air into the area. Expect air temperatures to be a few degrees warmer today than yesterday pushing close to the freezing mark at 11,000 feet. Winds will be from the west and light. Tomorrow a trough will push high-level clouds into the area, but we will be well to the south of the accumulating snowfall. It will be possible that a few flakes fall on Monday from orographic lift in the mountains to the west and north of town, but no real accumulations are expected. The area will sit under a moist northwest flow for Tuesday and Wednesday with the best chance of accumulating snow coming on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

• Today

  High Temperature: 29 – 33
  Winds/Direction: 2 to 12, W
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 12-18
  Winds/Direction: 2 to 12, WSW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 29 to 33
  Winds/Direction: 2 to 12, W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to trace
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/15/2018

Valley inversions set up again last night while mountain temperatures at 11,000ft are warmer in the 20’s. Those mountain temperatures will again climb to near freezing today. Broken high thin clouds will continue to pass overhead with a cleaning trend in the afternoon. That clearing will continue into Sunday and high temperatures will increase another couple degrees as we sit in southwest flow under a ridge of high pressure. The extended forecast, unfortunately, doesn’t include much in the way of snow as we look into next week. So start doing that snow dance people!

• Today

  High Temperature: 33
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20 West Southwest
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 35
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15 W
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/14/2018

Get above those hefty inversions this morning! -10ºF in the valleys, but +20 at ridgetops as of 5 am!
Strong upper-level ridging will continue across much of the mountain west as the jet stream is pushed north toward British Columbia today. Southwest flow will gradually lead to warming temperatures, but inversions should persist. The continued line up of storms stacking into the Pacific presses our current high pressure westward over the weekend. Bottom line: Look for a few more days of clear skies, breezy ridgetop winds, and cold overnight lows before our next chance of precipitation next week, but the closed low nature of next week’s system does not inspire confidence in much precipitation.

• Today

  High Temperature: 29
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/WSW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 10
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/SW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 31
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/WSW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/13/2018

We caught the southern end of a weak system that passed early last night to our north. A high-pressure ridge has developed leaving our area in a cold NW flow. Today’s temps will be in teens with NW winds decreasing throughout the day. Night time temperatures will be in the single digits with a slight warming trend tomorrow up to the mid ’20s. We will remain under a flat high-pressure ridge throughout the weekend with temps remaining in the teens, and light to moderate winds as the NW flow continues. Next possible chance for precipitation will be Mon/Tues. as a low pressure develops off the coast of Baja.

• Today

  High Temperature: 10 to 15
  Winds/Direction: 10-20 NW
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 20-25
  Winds/Direction: 5-10
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/12/2018

Another changeable day today with cooler temperatures as clouds filter in this morning and snow begins this afternoon. We are in line for another quick shot of snow through the night before high pressure builds back in tomorrow evening.

• Today

  High Temperature: 20
  Winds/Direction: West Northwest 15-25
  Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 1-3″
  Elkton Snow: 1-3″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1-3″

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 0
  Winds/Direction: Northwest 15-2 mph, Gusting to 35 mph
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 2-4″
  Elkton Snow: 1-3″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1-3″

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 18
  Winds/Direction: Northwest 10-15 mph
  Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/11/2018

A weak trough with minimal moisture is pushing across the area today. Temperatures at valley bottoms warmed up from yesterday with a less pronounced inversion. Today expect the chance for a few snowflakes in the morning with, at best, accumulations of an inch or so. The winds will be the bigger story for today. Winds will blow in the teens with gusts reaching higher. Gusting early this morning hit 40mph on Cinnamon and Scarp Ridge. As quickly as this system moved in, it will pass and leave our area under mostly clear skies for the night before the next approaching system on Wednesday. Wednesday’s system looks to be more productive with small accumulations across the forecast area.

• Today

  High Temperature: 23 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20 G30, West
  Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 8 to 14
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 10, W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 23 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 1 to 3
  Elkton Snow: 1 to 3
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 3

Date: 12/10/2018

For today, expect to see mostly sunny skies and temperatures to rebound nicely by warming close to the freezing mark. A weak ridge of high pressure will move across the area today but will pass quickly as clouds begin to build this afternoon and into the evening. Trailing just behind this ridge of high pressure is a trough that will bring light snow to the area on Tuesday. This system will move through quickly on Tuesday offering just a few inches of fresh snow. As soon as the first weak trough passes another low-pressure system will be following directly behind it and offer more light snow accumulations on Wednesday and into Thursday.

• Today

  High Temperature: 25 to 30
  Winds/Direction: 2 to 12, WNW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 10 to 15
  Winds/Direction: 2 to 12, WSW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 23 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 7 to 17
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 2
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 2
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 2

Date: 12/09/2018

A few snow showers and clouds will persist for the first part of the day over the western and northern part of the range from Irwin to Schofield. Snow showers are unlikely to produce much in the way of accumulation, but Irwin’s powcam is still showing very light flurries as of 5am. Wind speeds are forecasted to pick up today with speeds and gusts capable of transporting snow. Expect the clearing trend to last through Monday with the next small wave of moisture anticipated to push through the area on Tuesday offering a few fresh inches of snowfall.

• Today

  High Temperature: 17 to 22
  Winds/Direction: 7 to 17, NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 28 to 32
  Winds/Direction: 2 to 12, W
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/08/2018

As you stretch those arms this morning, try to flap them around vigorously to help move the low-level clouds out of the area. We’ll not see fog to the same level as yesterday but again will have low-level clouds to start the day off. As these move on their way, we can expect another partly cloudy day. We are starting into west and northwest flow today ahead of an approaching ridge of high pressure. Wind speeds will just be ticking up today in the alpine, then again increasing on Sunday. This ridge will dry us out on Sunday and into the start of next week. With the next round of unsettled weather looking to return midweek.

• Today

  High Temperature: 28
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15 WNW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0-1
  Elkton Snow: 0-1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-1

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 10
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15 NW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 28
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15 G25 NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/07/2018

Wind speeds have really dropped off since midnight allowing for calm conditions Friday morning. Low-level clouds have filled into the valleys creating overcast sky. Those winds will remain light today and those low-level clouds should dissipate a bit throughout the day, but you can still expect upper-level clouds to keep it a mostly cloudy kind of day. The chance for light snow still remains with this moisture in the area. Going into the weekend, this morning’s southwesterly flow will become westerly on Friday and eventually northwesterly by Saturday. We’ll see clouds and moisture slowly decreases during this time, before conditions dry out as a high-pressure ridge moves in for later this weekend and takes us into the start of next week.

• Today

  High Temperature: 28
  Winds/Direction: 0 to 10, WSW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1 AM
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1 AM
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1 AM

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 15
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15 WNW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 28
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15 G25, WNW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0