Thursday, December 27, 2007

Snow ending soon!!!

Short Range-
Snow continuing across the Front Range area ending around midnight tonight. Totals in the SW Denver area are around 4-5 inches but deeper with areas of drifted snow. Temperatures should drop to near single digits tonight with clouds clearing late. Clear skies to return tomorrow and rest of the weekend, however temperatures will remain cold with thick snow cover. Western slope expected to see more snow this weekend but no snow expected here on eastern slope with a NW to W wind over the mountains acting to dry the atmosphere. Clouds could be expected Sunday night but nothing to special. Looking ahead into the coming week, strong amplified High pressure will dominate with a NW to W wind flow keeping us dry and slightly warmer through the week.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Snow coming Tonight!

Short Range-
Current trough is located in SW U.S. with SW flow currently in the region ahead of the advancing trough. Moisture starting to enter western CO at this hour. Snow storm on track for tonight, Wednesday 12/26, lasting through Thursday 12/27 into the evening hours. Snow machine expected to start up early Thursday morning lasting all day into evening hours giving around 3-4 inches in SW Denver. The upper level trough passing through on Thursday will give decent Q-G omega lifting component to help enhance snowfall rates on Thursday afternoon. Clearing out Friday with High pressure dominating through the weekend will give a NW wind.

Long Range-
Large amplified High pressure building for the start of the New Year remaining through the first week of January with a weak embedded trough passing on Friday 1/4. A slight chance of snow associate with the passing weak trough for Saturday 1/5. Looking fairly dry for the first part of the new year.... more to come!

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Unsettled Pattern

Short Range-
The next cold front to impact our area is currently over NW Utah with prefrontal precipitation over Central Utah. As the front approaches our region temperatures will slowly drop through tomorrow morning, Friday, with frontal passage in the afternoon around 3pm. Precipitation in the form of snow associated with this front will develop with a wind from the north resulting in a small component of the upslope enhancement. Snowfall will continue through the evening and end overnight with winds picking up and shifting out of the NW to W. Total accumulations around 3-4 inches for SW Denver area and less accumulation towards the NE Denver area. Temperatures on Saturday will remain cold with clearing skies before the next system in the progressive wave pattern moves over the region. Clouds will build back into the Front Range area on Sunday afternoon ahead of a small short wave trough spinning up over Western Utah which will move through fairly quickly Sunday night and Monday.

Long Range-
A very unsettled pattern in the up coming week. It is looking like it will be a white Christmas for much of Colorado. The next amplified trough of low pressure will develop to the south and move southward on Christmas morning starting up the snow machine in the morning hours and continuing through the day with a north wind, ending overnight Tuesday. Only light snow expected with this small disturbance in the amount of 2-3 inches. The next system looks to have more of a punch as it will develop over the Four Corners area, intensify and slowly slide southward by Thursday mid-day. Precipitation will wrap up and around this low pressure system leaving around 3-4 inches by Friday afternoon. After these series of waves high pressure will build to the NW and hold fast. Looking into the beginning of the New Year the models are suggesting a fairly strong high pressure ridge holding the pattern.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Snow...Snow...Snow

I need to catch up now after Finals week. Small batch of moisture to our NW moving this way and will affect our region Thursday night and into Friday.

Short Range-
A weak short wave disturbance will be moving through the Front Range area Thursday night 12/13 with snow developing around 11pm Thursday night. Clouds will develop by Thursday afternoon with FROPA (frontal passage) over night. Snow will continue through late morning on Friday and taper off by the afternoon Friday. Vertical motion by Q-G forcing not very apparent, so upslope will not be very strong if any at all. Total snow accumulations around 2-3 inches. Clouds clearing by Saturday mid-day with NW flow and building shallow high pressure through rest of the weekend. New snow cover will provide strong radiational cooling and will drop temperatures to single digits by Saturday morning but will slightly warm up during day time heating.

Long Range-
Long range looking fairly dry and cold with W to NW flow dominating through the high pressure through the week. Next strong significant trough will dig south and bring moisture from Pacific NW late in the week. A cold front passage will take place on Friday 12/21 with snow developing along western CO as well as Front Range by Friday afternoon. Snow will continue through the night into Saturday morning and ending by Saturday night. Totals look to be around 4-5 inches. Strong Q-G vertical motion on Friday night giving significant upslope component along Northern Front Range enhancing snow fall. More details to come…