Date: 12/16/2017

Weak valley inversion will begin to mix out this morning with increasing clouds into the afternoon as another weak Pacific disturbance withers on the vine and loses all potential precipitation as it moves across the Great Basin. Look for a few flurries tonight over our highest terrain along the spine of the Elk Mountains, with just a skiff of accumulating snow. Sunny days return again, before our much anticipated mid week storm rolls in. This digging trough from the Pacific looks to bring advisory level snowfall (4-8”+) to our area before the low pressure cuts off and severs its moisture tap. While not a season saver, it is a step in the right direction…

• Today

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

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

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

Date: 12/15/2017

The bottom dropped out across our forecast area with temperatures hovering in the single digits, and below zero readings over in Taylor Park. We will have yet another quiet day on our hands with drifting cirrus ahead of our next hiccup of a weather system weakening across the Great Basin today, on deck to give us another skiff of snow this weekend. We will have a major change in the weather next week, but just a little too early for solid details. Colder and stormier look like good bets for the rest of the December though.

• Today

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

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 35
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/SW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/14/2017

Though this fast moving, and unsettled wave of moisture has only dropped an inch or two across our forecast area, it is a welcomed sign the sustained ridge of high pressure is weakening. The residual moisture from this wave will clear out throughout the morning, leaving cold, dry air in its wake. High pressure will try to re-build, with another similar blip on the radar Saturday night. Looking into next week, models suggest the relentless high pressure has been wounded and will struggle to rebuild, before yet another digging trough across the California coastline opens the interior up for desperate moisture. Future models are even hinting that Santa and Rudolph have bigger, better presents on track for next week.

• Today

  High Temperature: 25
  Winds/Direction: 10-20/NNW
  Sky Cover: Decreasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0-1″
  Elkton Snow: 0-1″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 32
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/WNW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/13/2017

Look up today and you’ll see increasing cloud cover in advance of a small storm bringing snow to the mountains tonight. This system is sliding over the top of the ridiculously resilient ridge on the west coast, so it will hit us from the North. Snowflakes will begin to fall well after dark. By Thursday morning, we can expect a couple inches of fresh snow scattered around the southern side of the Elk Mountains. Tomorrow as the storm clears out, the North winds will blow and temps will drop a good 10 degrees over today. Looking deeper into the crystal ball, it looks like we’ve got another chance for snow coming late this weekend.

• Today

  High Temperature: 30
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, Northwest
  Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 10
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, Northwest
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 1 to 3
  Elkton Snow: 1 to 3
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 2

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 20
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, gusting to 30, North
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

Date: 12/12/2017

First the same news, then the good news.
The PDS (or Pacific Deflector Shield) remains operational through at least this weekend when we expect the Resistance fighters to arrive in theaters near you. Today, clear skies, high temperatures in the mid 30’s and light northwest winds. Tonight the inversion sets back in under clear skies dropping valley temperatures back into the single digits. Then tomorrow, more of the same, though we’ll add a few high thin clouds.
So the good news – the long-range weather models hint at a pattern shift about a week away. We’ll leave it at that for now.

• Today

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

• Tonight

  High Temperature: 25 at 11,000′; 5 in the valley bottom
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, Northwest
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 32
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, Northwest
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/11/2017

With the aid of my crystal ball, I can predict with a high degree of certainty that the sun will rise and fall, then rise and fall, followed by some more rising and falling. The crystal ball also shows a blip in this persistent ridge of high pressure that responsible for the dry weather. So we’ll be talking about a chance of some snow flurries Wednesday night. If you read yesterdays weather forecast, know that the BBBSFSRP group must be working hard as there appears to be some more winter weather for next weekend and maybe even some changes in the weather pattern! We shall see.
Valley inversions are again strong today. Valley temperatures should warm to near 40 degrees today with 11,000 temperatures reaching the mid 30’s. It may be dry but at least it sunny!

• Today

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

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 40
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15/NW
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/10/2017

The Gunnison Valley Ice Skating Coalition and Crested Butte Ice Climbers for 2018 Club, continue to support a blocking ridge of high pressure over the Western half of the US. These two organizations will look forward to the continued dry weather through the foreseeable future. We can let the GVISC and CBICC have their weather that supports nice ice formation, but I hear the Big Bad Backcountry Skiers For Slate River Powder, are really working for a weather change and have something up their sleeve. Don’t forget to donate to the BBBSFSRP group because we really need some powder!
Low temperatures are again inverted this morning with valley lows near zero and 11,000ft temperatures in the 20’s. These temperatures should rebound nicely today and the clear sky will allow that beautiful Colorado sun to keep warming the sole.

• Today

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

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 38
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15/W
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 12/09/2017

The classic winter inversion is in place this morning with temperatures near Crested Butte flirting with 0ºF, while higher elevation weather stations report temperatures at 6am closer to 20ºF. Another day of clear skies and bright sun are in store, with light winds at higher elevations blowing from the west. Keep the faith, the pattern will break down, but this persistent ridge of high pressure remains in place for the foreseeable future.

• Today

  High Temperature: 33
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/WNW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  High Temperature: 12
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

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

Date: 12/08/2017

Temperatures are 20 degrees warmer than yesterday morning, as northwest winds have fought off frigid inversions under clear skies. Same weather, different day as the impressive ridging along the Pacific coast hangs tough and sends all moisture clear up into the Yukon and away from the western United States. Expect more sun, and breezy northwesterly winds above timberline. We will see a gradual warm up over the next several days, with no precipitation in sight.

• Today

  High Temperature: 25-30
  Winds/Direction: 10-15/N
  Sky Cover: Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

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

Date: 12/07/2017

That was a chilly night; the coldest of the season so far for our alpine terrain. Under the influence of the North winds, our temperature inversion broke down last night, with sub-zero temps measured up high and low’s in the single digits around the valley floor.
This cooling pattern will continue throughout the day, and the North winds will blow stronger than what we’ve seen all week as this Northerly jet stream slides overhead. This same North flow will build clouds over the high peaks, maybe even dropping a snowflake or two over the Divide or the upper Brush Creek zones. Rest assured, the Pacific coast deflector shield remains intact, and tomorrow we’ll be back to mostly clear skies and start into a gradual warming trend to carry us through the weekend.

• Today

  High Temperature: 10
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, gusting to 40, North
  Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  High Temperature: 5
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, gusting to 40, North
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 20
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, gusting to 50, North
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0