Date: 01/29/2020

Maybe the recent Fat Bike World Party is sending the next storm south of us, or maybe the skiers are just not doing their part of the snow dance. Or maybe its the weather forecasters fault for saying the next storm is going south, dammit. Well, I’m not sure who’s fault it is.

A large low-pressure trough is dropping through Utah and heading down and south of Colorado. We still get moisture associated with this storm, just not much snow out of it. A couple of inches west of Crested Butte would be great! While a couple of inches for Crested Butte is wishful. Some light snow showers are about it. Winds will at least remain light today into Thursday. On Thursday afternoon we have another period of increased moisture and should again see some light snow showers.

Dry weather builds for the weekend and an increasing temperature trend.

• Today

  High Temperature: 24 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 2 to 12 NNW
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 1 to 3
  Elkton Snow: 1 to 3
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 3

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 5 to 9
  Winds/Direction: 2 to 12, NE
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 24 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

Date: 01/28/2020

Yesterday’s little system has moved to the east and snowfall largely ended yesterday evening for the Crested Butte area. Snowfall totals look to max out at 4 inches to the west of Crested Butte. Winds remained elevated overnight blowing from the northwest at 20 to 30 mph with gusts pushing 50. For today, skies will be mostly clear and winds are forecasted to relax a bit throughout the day. By this evening cloud cover will begin to build again before the next approaching system.

On Tuesday night the area is expected to pick up just a couple of inches as the next storm passes by on its way well south of our area. Snow will linger into Wednesday with the possibility of a couple more inches during the day. The area will pick up snow as the storm initially moves by but as it gets further south, the snow production will get shut off. The storm track for this event is not generally favorable for our area but will offer a modest refresh to surface conditions.

• Today

  High Temperature: 24 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 8 to 18, NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 5 to 9
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, WNW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 2
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 2
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 2

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 24 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, N
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 1 to 3
  Elkton Snow: 1 to 3
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 3

Date: 01/27/2020

Light snowfall has started across the area early this morning. A quick trough will pass over Colorado today and offer a modest refresh to surface conditions. The high end of snowfall accumulations will reach about 5 inches by sunset for areas to the west and northwest of town and lesser amounts near and to the east. As the trough passes overhead, wind speeds will pick up from the northwest and transport the new snow. Snow may linger for areas favored by northwest flow on Monday evening but things will dry up by Tuesday.

On Tuesday a quick-moving ridge will move into the area but is expected to be short-lived before another low-pressure system heads towards Colorado on Wednesday. Wednesday’s trough may dive south of Colorado limiting potential snowfall but a stronger northwest flow will develop behind it offering a continued chance of snowfall for areas to the west and northwest of Crested Butte that have favorable orographics. This week doesn’t look impressive but continued light snowfall should keep riding conditions nice.

• Today

  High Temperature: 24 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 8 to 18, WNW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 3 to 5
  Elkton Snow: 3 to 5
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 2 to 4

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 2 to 6
  Winds/Direction: 13 to 23, NW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 23 to 27
  Winds/Direction: 4 to 14, WNW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 01/26/2020

A quick-moving weak ridge is passing over Colorado today. High-level clouds are already moving over the state and will be on the increase during the day. Westerly winds are expected to blow close to 20 mph at upper elevations before an approaching trough impacts the area late Sunday night through Monday. Snowfall totals look minimal with this system, but the area will see a short period, in the early afternoon, with stronger showers. The deepest accumulations may stack up to 3 inches or so by the end of the day on Monday.

• Today

  High Temperature: 26 to 30
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, W
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 12 to 16
  Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, SW
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 25 to 29
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, NW
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 1 to 3
  Elkton Snow: 1 to 3
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 3

Date: 01/25/2020

Last night’s moisture-starved, and fast-moving disturbance riding the cold northwest flow will exit the region around noon for most mountains, though it is possible for the highest crest of the Ruby Range and Paradise Divide to hang onto flurries and cloudiness until around sunset with loss of daytime heating. Otherwise, a quiet, mild day on tap for most mountain locations with temperatures rising into the mid-20s at 11,000ft. Northwest winds will also play nice aside from occasional gusts into the 20mph range. Looking ahead, another beautiful day on Sunday with high clouds streaming into the region tomorrow afternoon before snow develops Monday and beyond.

• Today

  High Temperature: 24-28
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/NW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0-1″
  Elkton Snow: 0-1″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-1″

• Tonight

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

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 25-30
  Winds/Direction: 10-20/WSW
  Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 01/24/2020

Clear skies will eventually give way to increasing high clouds today, but no measurable precipitation is expected until Monday. Temperatures will start with cold valley inversions, but with increasing sun angles, will valleys should eventually break out out of the cold pooling and see highs in the lower 30s. Upper elevations can expect highs in the low to mid 20s. North winds were well behaved last night and should continue to stay in the 5-15mph range into Saturday. Enjoy this brief ridge of high pressure this weekend, before the storm track swings back around for more snow next week. Whatever dances you’ve been doing, keep doing them, and don’t jinx it!

• Today

  High Temperature: 22-27
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/N
  Sky Cover: Mostly Clear
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 10-15
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/NW
  Sky Cover: Increasing clouds
  Irwin Snow: 0-1″
  Elkton Snow: 0-1″
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 25-30
  Winds/Direction: 5-15/NW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 01/23/2020

We are sitting under northwest flow at the nose of a high-pressure ridge. Moisture has been pushing through and adding up some better than anticipated snow totals for the mountains north and west of Crested Butte. For Thursday, upper-level moisture has dried out and this should lead to some breaks in the clouds today. Though we may still see clouds hanging along the Ruby Range and Elk Mountains and continuing to produce periods of light snow at times. Cloud cover looks to decrease Thursday night into Friday. By Friday afternoon we have another blob of moisture moving in. This will again bring increased clouds and could produce some more light snow. A shortwave trough moves in for Sunday into Monday and that will be our next storm in the lineup.

• Today

  High Temperature: 24 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 8 to 18 G30, NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 1 to 2
  Elkton Snow: 1 to 2
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 10 to 14
  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 to 32
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, W
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

Date: 01/22/2020

The low-pressure trough has headed east and we are sitting on the backside in northwest flow. Fog and low-level moisture looks to keep the sky mostly cloudy or obscured today and keep some orographic snowfall going. Upper-level winds increase Wednesday night as the Jet Stream passes overhead. During that time we’ll see some increased wind gusts, but otherwise not much change in the average wind speeds. On Thursday we’ll be on the edge of a building high-pressure ridge to our west, and passing unsettled weather to our north. That ridge looks to struggle in establishing itself through the weekend. With some increased moisture moving through at times. The next storm looks to line up for early next week.

• Today

  High Temperature: 24 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 8 to 18, WNW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 1 to 3
  Elkton Snow: 1 to 3
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 3

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 14 to 18
  Winds/Direction: 8 to 18 G 30, WNW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 2
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 2
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 2

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 24 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 8 to 18, NW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

Date: 01/21/2020

Light snow showers have developed around Crested Butte early this morning as a moist, but weak, shortwave trough pushes into Colorado from the southwest. The trough is expected to pass over the Continental Divide around midday as it heads eastward. Snowfall is currently looking modest with snowfall totals between 2 and 5 inches by Tuesday evening. After this first shortwave quickly passes by on Tuesday night, a westerly flow will develop overnight which will keep light, orographic snowfall going for mountains to the west and northwest of Crested Butte. A second shortwave trough will pass by northern Colorado on Wednesday and keep light snowfall lingering through the end of the day. Snowfall totals for Tuesday and Wednesday look to range from 3 to 10 inches range-wide.

A ridge will develop over the area by Friday keeping the area dry for a few days, but by next weekend we may see another round of snowfall.

• Today

  High Temperature: 28 to 32
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, SW
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 3 to 5
  Elkton Snow: 3 to 5
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 2 to 4

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 14 to 18
  Winds/Direction: 4 to 14, W
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 1 to 3
  Elkton Snow: 1 to 3
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 3

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 24 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 8 to 18, WNW
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 1 to 3
  Elkton Snow: 1 to 3
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 1 to 3

Date: 01/20/2020

A strong inversion remains in place for another morning in the Gunnison Valley. Temperature spreads between valley bottoms and upper elevations are greater than 30 degrees. Skies are currently mostly clear but expect this to change over the course of the day. A trough to the west of Crested Butte is pushing clouds eastward and is expected to create mostly cloudy conditions by the end of the day. Precipitation from this trough will start dropping snow late tonight or very early Tuesday morning. Snowfall will last from early Tuesday through Wednesday night. Models are currently showing a 4 to 10-inch storm total across the forecast. Winds are anticipated to increase with this system but are not expected to reach the extreme levels of our previous snow-maker.

• Today

  High Temperature: 28 to 32
  Winds/Direction: 3 to 13, SW
  Sky Cover: Partly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0
  Elkton Snow: 0
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0

• Tonight

  Low Temperature: 8 to 12
  Winds/Direction: 3 to 13, SSW
  Sky Cover: Mostly Cloudy
  Irwin Snow: 0 to 1
  Elkton Snow: 0 to 1
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1

• Tomorrow

  High Temperature: 24 to 28
  Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, WSW
  Sky Cover: Overcast
  Irwin Snow: 3 to 5
  Elkton Snow: 3 to 5
  Friend’s Hut Snow: 2 to 4