Date: 03/21/2018
“The Dude,” the strong closed low that’s been parked over the Pacific for the last week, if preparing for the final bowling frame. The big question is will it be a strike, a spare, or a gutter ball.
Today will be warmer than the last couple days, but otherwise quite similar as the waning hours of the recent “dirty ridge” of high pressure passes overhead. Expect on and off clouds, moderate winds and temperatures climbing to above freezing at 11,000′, even a chance for a localized flurry or two over the high peaks.
By tonight, the ridge axis passes overhead, and the southwest flow in front of the Dude’s final approach begins to usher in warm air and significant moisture. Tomorrow the moisture and clouds arrive as a southern split off the main atmospheric river presently impacting the coast. Precipitation will begin as rain up to around 11,000′, transitioning to dense snow by tomorrow night. The main system will track to our north, so here in the Elk Mountains we’ll see swampy conditions with precipitation driven primarily by southwest orographics, which means the snowfall will be much greater in the high country than in town.
For you Grand Traverse-o-philes, the models are currently projecting storm totals by mid-day Friday of around 4″ of snow in town, 12″ at Star Pass and 10″ at Taylor Pass. Bring your glob-stopper and don’t expect to skate ski your way over the Elk Mountains.
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Today
High Temperature: 30
Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, West
Sky Cover: Overcast
Irwin Snow: 0 to 1″
Elkton Snow: 0 to 1″
Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 to 1″ -
Tonight
Low Temperature: 15
Winds/Direction: 5 to 15, West
Sky Cover: Overcast
Irwin Snow: 0
Elkton Snow: 0
Friend’s Hut Snow: 0 -
Tomorrow
High Temperature: 35
Winds/Direction: 10 to 20, gusting to 30, West Southwest
Sky Cover: Overcast
Irwin Snow: 0 to 2″, starting as rain below 11,000′
Elkton Snow: 0-2″, starting as rain below 11,000′
Friend’s Hut Snow: 0-2″, starting as rain below 11,000′