Date: 02/23/2018

Snow showers will continue, and become more steady throughout the day with accumulating snow across our forecast area. Although southwest flow is less than ideal, it will provide just enough moisture and orographic enhancement to get another good dose of that cold smoke when combined with our single digit temperatures. The unseasonably cold temperatures are not ideal temperatures for the big time snow we all know and love, but at this point, we’ll take it. As we see daytime heating, a convective element will contribute to sometimes heavy snow showers dropping snowfall rates to 1-2″/hour. Snow will continue tonight, with winds shifting to the northwest (creating the possibility of deeper accumulations in the Kebler and Schofield Pass areas), before an intensifying low pressure center rips any remaining moisture from our area and onto the eastern plains. An active pattern persists through next week with more snowfall expected.

• Today

  High Temperature: 24
  Winds/Direction: 10-20/WSW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 3-6″
  Elkton Snow: 3-6″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1-3″

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 7
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 3-6″
  Elkton Snow: 3-6″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1-3″

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 10
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/NW
  Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 1-3″
  Elkton Snow: 1-3″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-2″

Date: 02/22/2018

Can you believe it? Snoflakes are still falling. It’s not like it’s nuking snow, nor will it in the near term, but hey at least it’s still snowing.
The big high out in the Pacific is holding that jetstream through the western US, and keeping us in an active weather pattern. The snow showers will keep falling in spurts from now through the weekend. Right now the models show a decrease in snowfall intensity this afternoon and even a partial clearing on Saturday morning. Outside of those two breaks, it’s light snow through Sunday.

• Today

  High Temperature: 15
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, West-Southwest
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 2 to 4″
  Elkton Snow: 2 to 4″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 2″

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 0
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, Southwest
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 3 to 6″
  Elkton Snow: 2 to 4″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 3″

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 15
  Winds/Direction: 15 to 25, gusting to 40, South-Southwest
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 2 to 4″
  Elkton Snow: 2 to 4″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 2″

Date: 02/21/2018

Enjoy a brief bit of sun this morning, before clouds rebuild this afternoon ahead of our next mini-storm.
An Aleutian High and a wobbling Low in the Great Basin are holding the storm track over Colorado into the near future. We’ll keep the every other day snow pattern going through the weekend.
Tonight, the southwest flow will usher in a few inches valley wide, then tomorrow west-southwest flow will keep the flakes adding up around Kebler and the divide.

• Today

  High Temperature: 15
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, Southwest
  Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1″
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 5
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, Southwest
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 3 to 5″
  Elkton Snow: 3 to 5″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 2 to 4″

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 15
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, West-Southwest
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 2 to 4″
  Elkton Snow: 3 to 5″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 2″

Date: 02/20/2018

The big bad wolf tried to blow my house down, but thankfully it’s still standing. A deep trough of low pressure over the western US slung a brief and potent blizzard at us yesterday evening. Snow totals came in below the forecast amounts, but the wind certainly performed.
As the trough axis slides overhead today, we’ll see light snow showers continue over the high peaks under a West Southwest flow, with stinkin cold temperatures, possibly the coldest daytime highs so far this winter.

• Today

  High Temperature: 5
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20 West Southwest
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 2 to 4″
  Elkton Snow: 1 to 3″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 2″

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 15
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, Southwest
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1″
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1″

Date: 02/19/2018

Hold on to small children, because it is windy out there folks! At 11,000ft are in the 25 to 35mph range with gusts in the 60’s. These winds will continue to stay elevated today. The incoming storm is already behind schedule and deflating my powder hungry dreams a bit. There is currently a lot of dry air pushing into Colorado with only a narrow stream of moisture. A low-pressure trough will continue to drop southeast today and develop snow showers. We should still see some decent accumulation during the day with the best snow showers late this afternoon or after dark when a cold front finally drops south. Behind the cold front temperatures will plummet. Tuesday will be very cold with some light snow showers.

The week ahead looks unsettled, with some clouds and cool temps, but not much for snow. A better storm looks to arrive around the end of the work week.

• Today

  High Temperature: 25
  Winds/Direction: 25 to 35 G50, Southwest
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 6 to 9
  Elkton Snow: 6 to 9
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 4 to 6

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 0
  Winds/Direction: 15 to 25, Southwest
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 3 to 6
  Elkton Snow: 3 to 6
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 2 to 4

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 10
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, West Southwest
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 2 to 4
  Elkton Snow: 2 to 4
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 2

Date: 02/18/2018

Today will be a transition day to the next storm. Bring it on! Look for high clouds to start streaming overhead today while winds have already begun increasing ahead of the next low-pressure trough pushing moister into Colorado on southwest flow. This system will be very similar to the weather pattern we were in, early last week. Light snow showers will start to develop tonight and ramp up on Monday. By Tuesday it looks like should see about 1” of SWE or near a foot or more of new snow with areas favored by southwest flow accumulating more. It is going to be a windy day tomorrow with periods of heavy snow, so plan accordingly. We’ll see a break in the weather during the mid-week, but then it looks like we’re back in it to close out the week!

• Today

  High Temperature: 30
  Winds/Direction: 20 to 30, SW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 22
  Winds/Direction: 20 to 30
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 1 to 3
  Elkton Snow: 1 to 3
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 3

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 25
  Winds/Direction: 25 to 35, SW
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 8 to 12
  Elkton Snow: 8 to 12
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 6 to 10

Date: 02/17/2018

It looks to be a cooker out there today. Temperatures will spike mid morning and climb into the upper 30s today at 11,000ft, and even at 12,500ft, temperature look to rise into the upper 20s. Strong solar radiation and decreasing west winds will contribute to the thaw. Tomorrow will be much like today. but even warmer, before our next storm system rolls into the Elk Mountains. Getting an expert second opinion from Joel Gratz of Open Snow at the informal lecture last night, all the boxes are looking to be checked with this storm (favorable jet stream, vorticity, orograhics-WSW, and moisture. Temperatures look a little less than ideal-too cold, but that may evolve.) Should be interesting to watch play out!

• Today

  High Temperature: 36
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/W
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 30
  Winds/Direction: 10-25/W
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 40
  Winds/Direction: 15-25/W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 02/16/2018

Yesterday’s storm cleared out overnight with snow tapering off around 11pm in the Crested Butte area. Farther north toward Aspen, snow continued and they received 6” additional last night alone (storm there added to 22″ total). With clearing skies, temperatures have plummeted below zero in valley locations. Look for clear skies, light winds, and strong solar radiation to spike temperatures by mid morning today,. Ridging high pressure takes over for the weekend with gradually rising temperatures each day. On Sunday, clouds and southwest winds increase, and our next storm system drops from the north for Monday.

• Today

  High Temperature: 27
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

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

Date: 02/15/2018

Well, this watched pot doesn’t seem to have hit a boil, and I’m afraid we’re running out of fuel. Snow totals around the Crested Butte area have come in under the forecasted amounts and the pattern of snowfall is a bit unusual for a southwest flow. Irwin picked up 4″, Schofield 7″, Gothic 3″, while in a come from behind victory Upper Taylor has racked up 9″ as of 6am.
The trough of low pressure across the western US will move overhead this afternoon. Today we’ll have a few hours of westerly flow before the trough passes and the winds shift to the northwest. Until the storm blows out, we can expect snow showers off and on throughout the day.
Once the flow shifts to the northwest, the snowfall will end as drier air moves in for the next couple days and we’ll turn our attention towards a storm early next week.

• Today

  High Temperature: 20
  Winds/Direction: 15 to 30, gusting to 50, West
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 3 to 6″
  Elkton Snow: 2 to 4″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 3″

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 20
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, gusting to 30, West
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 02/14/2018

Make sure your loved ones get some powder today. Given this season, it’s about as good a gift as one could offer.  And if you miss the powder today, tomorrow’s going to be even better.
The closed low pressure that’s fueled snow showers over the last 48 hours is fading away into Baja leaving us with diminishing moisture this morning. Meanwhile, a more potent trough of low pressure currently over the Pacific Northwest sinks southward over the great basin today. This digging trough will deliver a strong winter storm starting this evening, lasting roughly 24 hours through Thursday evening. Strong southwest winds will kick off the blizzard this evening, then after midnight, the moisture will ramp up the winds will veer to our beloved west flow and we’ll see what happens from there. The models are looking impressive at this point with over a foot of snow expected for the high country.

• Today

  High Temperature: 30
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, gusting to 30, Southwest
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 1 to 3″
  Elkton Snow: 2 to 4″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 2″

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 20
  Winds/Direction: 20 to 30, gusting to 50, Westsouthwest
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 8 to 10″
  Elkton Snow: 6 to 8″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 6 to 8″

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 20
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, gusting to 30, West
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 4 to 6″
  Elkton Snow: 3 to 5″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 2 to 4″