Date: 01/29/2017

Mountain temps are sitting pleasantly in the upper teens above subzero valley inversions today. The dome of high pressure to our west will sag south over the next few days issuing in a continued dry and warming trend into next week. Northwest flow rounding to top of the ridge will keep it breezy above treeline today.

Date: 01/29/2017

A strong ridge of high pressure is gradually moving eastward across the Western U.S. We will still be under cool, northerly flow today at the front end of the ridge. Temperatures will warm and skies will be mostly clear through next week as the ridge progresses. We are already seeing mountain temperatures rise into the high single digits above strong valley inversions

Date: 01/27/2017

Mountain temperatures are 10 below zero and valley inversions are as deep as -38 this morning. Brrr. We can look forward to a warming trend through the weekend as a ridge of high pressure off of the West Coast amplifies and moves east over the next few days. We’ll be under chilly northerly flow until the ridge moves overhead. We’ll have at least a week of dry weather for our backs to recover from all the shoveling this month.

Date: 01/26/2017

Today we’ll remain in the effects of a departing storm to the east. Cold northwesterly flow will keep producing orographic snow showers and mostly cloudy sky west of Crested Butte and partly cloudy sky east of Crested Butte. The Kebler Pass and Paradise Divide areas could pick up another 2 to 4” of snow today, with only and inch or so possible elsewhere. Temperatures start to slowly warm Friday and the sky will begin to clear as we head into drier weather for the weekend.

Date: 01/25/2017

Mountain temperatures are hovering near or below zero this morning under light winds. Chilly northwest flow is filling in behind our most recent storm system. Residual moisture will keep cloud cover and snow flurries in the forecast for the next couple days, before as strong high-pressure ridge brings warming and clearing skies by the weekend.

Date: 01/24/2017

The vigorous weather from yesterday is developing into a mid-latitude cyclone as it ejects east of Colorado. Winds and snowfall came to a screeching halt and temperatures have dropped into the single digits behind last evening’s cold front. There is enough moisture in the atmosphere for redeveloping snowfall today as the broad Pacific trough progresses east. Flow begins to shift to the northwest by Wednesday, sparking additional orographic snowfall. We may still wring out 6″ or more in the favored locations before we see a cold, drying trend later in the week and a large, blocking ridge set up this weekend.

Date: 01/23/2017

Snow showers were a bit slow to develop over central Colorado last night. Light showers started around midnight and accumulations are just squeaking into the bottom range of the forecast. Never the less we still have a large winter storm today. Pacific moisture has arrived on southwest flow, with lift being aided by a very strong jet over head. Early this morning winds have started guesting to 90mph at 12,000 as this strong jet has sagged south over Colorado. We will see periods of heavy snowfall and strong winds today. Snowfall will easy heading into Tuesday and Tuesday night. Monday night we’ll see a cold front dip into northern Colorado with colder area moving into central Colorado on Tuesday. wind directions become northwesterly to north as we’ll be on the back side of a low pressure moving into the central plains on the Monday night Tuesday timeframe as well.

Date: 01/22/2017

Most of the Crested Butte area got skunked by Saturdays anticipated snowfall, but Irwin came in a big winner again with orographic snow showers adding up overnight. Today we have a temporary ridge building that will dry out the weather and even let the sun shine for a bit. This will be short lived as we see increasing clouds this afternoon ahead of a good looking storm for Sunday night into Monday. Moisture is streaming in from the west southwest, with several lifting mechanism such as a strong overhead jet. Everything should combine for a strong winter storm with increased winds. Snow showers should continue into Tuesday and possibly even Wednesday Morning. Adding up to up to a couple feet of new snow.

Date: 01/21/2017

Storm number 2 in our recent 3 part series has been producing snow in southwest Colorado while the central mountains have been in the forecasted lull overnight. Moisture will arrive into our area later this morning as we’ll see snow showers develop through the day. A temporary ridge begins to build this evening and as it does we’ll see wind directions become more west and eventually northwest. Available moisture will be drying out at the same time, but any lingering moisture available will be rung out in the western portion of the forecast area where we see snow showers extend into the evening. The ridge will bring dryer conditions early Sunday morning during the break before storm number 3. We’ll see clouds increasing Sunday afternoon as number 3 get ready to send us back into stormy weather for several days. Number 3 is looking like a good snow producer for the area and we’ll talk more details on this tomorrow.

Date: 01/20/2017

Storm one of three in this forecast period arrived last night on southwest flow. We’ll continue seeing fairly light winds and continued snowfall through today, with a break in weather late this afternoon into tonight. The next storm will arrive early tomorrow morning again on southwest flow. Number 2 is very similar to number 1, but being its younger brother. Number 2 will pack a little better punch. A brief ridge will bring drier conditions and a break in the weather Sunday, before the little step child, storm number 3, decides to come play too. Number 3 looks to bring the wind with upper-level jet support and heavy snow if everything lines up right. Number 3 will again start out on southwest flow Monday, and finish with northwesterly flow around Tuesday evening/Wednesday timeframe.