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.