Date: 01/19/2017

Our recent beautiful weather sure was nice but lets dive back into some more storms! We have three storms coming down the line in the weather forecast. Clear skys allowed temps to drop last night and will be slower to rebound this morning. Warmer air on southwest flow and building clouds will be the theme for most of today as our next pulse of weather approaches. Snow showers will begin this afternoon but accumulations don’t look to significant. Though continued unsettled weather in the forecast should help those numbers add up. We’ll see a slight break in the weather Friday evening before the next round arrives Saturday. Then we’ll see a more pronounced break in the weather around Sunday as a small ridge builds over the western US. The biggest and best looking snow produces arrives as the third storm early next week.

Date: 01/18/2017

We have truly brought British Columbia’s weather to Colorado this month. Valley fog is hanging in there again today, and you will have to climb into the peaks to appreciate the beautiful bluebird weather and mild temperatures above. High clouds begin to fill in late tonight ahead of a series of three storms headed our way through the weekend, each progressively stronger. The first will bring light snow starting Thursday afternoon, the next arrives Friday night, and a much stronger system from Sunday through Tuesday brings good jet support and heavy snowfall. A preliminary glance into snow totals suggests a couple feet or more by early next week. Let’s shake the snow globe again!

Date: 01/17/2017

It is time to recharge on Vitamin D! A dome of high pressure is moving across the Western U.S., giving us our first respite from snowfall since January 6th. You might have to climb above valley fog to enjoy clearing skies this morning. We’ll see a slight warming trend over the next few days under calm winds. Soak it in while it lasts, stormy weather returns later this week.

Date: 01/16/2017

As the low pressure system responsible for the continuous cloud cover, and skiff of snow overnight moves across Texas, another small low pressure system near Baja will keep the chance of light snow and cloud cover the Elk mountains today. After this system passes throughout the day, the weak trough will slide east, bringing a period of much anticipated, and proper Colorado blue sky days to the area until Thursday. Details of our storm late in the week are still unclear, but expect a return to snowy and stormy conditions to finish out the third week of January.

Date: 01/15/2017

A generally quiet day of weather is on tap for the Crested Butte area today as the wandering cut-off low pressure system flirts with the Arizona/Mexico border, spinning one last ripple of moisture our direction. This moisture will bring cloud cover and an increased chance of light snow showers to our forecast area this afternoon and evening. Look for high temperatures at 11,000ft in the 32º range and light winds out of an unusual east-southeasterly direction at ridgetop. The week ahead looks dry and sunny, with our next chance of snow and another stormy period arriving Thursday through next weekend.

Date: 01/14/2017

The closed low over Baja continues to spin moisture into the Elk Mountains under tame winds. As the low shifts towards Texas, flow direction becomes increasingly less favorable, so snowfall will diminish. A weak ridge of high pressure arrives early next week: Our first break in active weather in over 2 weeks.

Date: 01/13/2017

We will see residual moisture produce light snow at times, with a general warming trend over the next few days as the low pressure off the coast of Southern California tracks into Old Mexico. I haven’t seen the sun in 2 weeks, now, so I will hang onto the hope the sun may pop out for short periods today. Expect the next several days to begin to dry out, light snow showers possible, but minimal accumulations and well behaved light westerly winds the norm. Looking ahead, another storm looks possible late next week as a large scale trough of low pressure moves off the Pacific.

Date: 01/12/2017

The low pressure system off the coast of California will continue to sag toward Baja, and eventually “cut off” from the main atmospheric flow. As this low pressure slides south, it will spin one last significant plume of moisture across the desert southwest and into the central and southern Colorado mountains. This moisture will bring along warmer temperatures and bump snow lines to around 7500ft. Southwest winds will not be as strong as previous days, with speeds in the 30-40mph range at ridge top. The outlook for Friday and beyond look unsettled, with minor accumulations through the weekend. The next significant storm does loom late next week.

Date: 01/11/2017

The jet stream and associated zonal flow are transporting deep Pacific moisture into the West this morning. The largest plume is tracking to our north across Northern Utah this morning, while the other is steering towards the 4 corners region and into the Elk Mountains today. 6-8″ fell last evening and we are in a brief lull early this morning before snowfall begins to intensify today. This system does not look as intense as some of our recent pulses, but we’ll see today’s snow totals approaching a foot by sunset. Winds will increase through the day and peak around sunset, as a disorganized cold front sags south. A closed low dives south along the California/Baja coast line steering unsettled, but less intense weather our way the rest of the week.

Date: 01/10/2017

Brief ridging in the wake of last night’s cold front will bring a relative lull in precipitation today. And by lull, we mean half of a foot of snow. Isn’t it nice to live in British Columborado? Moist, zonal flow will continue through Thursday before the jet carves out a deepening closed low that looks to track south along Baja. We jump back into the heavy action again this afternoon as another strong pulse of wind and snow arrives, reminiscent of yesterday but a little cooler in temps. Look for 2″ of snow water equivalent or more by Wednesday evening.