Winter 2013-2014 Colorado Weather Thread (Grand Junction, Clifton: places, top, job)

[bongo]

Snowing in Crested Butte right now- we've had a lot of snow this year, the entire ski mountain is open & the skiing is great.

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by bongo

Snowing in Crested Butte right now- we've had a lot of snow this year, the entire ski mountain is open & the skiing is great.

That is great news. As long as the mountains get snow we will have water come summer.

[Neditate]

Snow started falling late last night. As of 7 pm tonight we received 8". Eldora reported a foot mid-afternoon.

[Josseppie]

Even Pueblo had snow! So I decided to go on a late snow patrol. There is about 2-4 inches of snow so far. I will do a final measurement in the morning.

[jim9251]

A dusting in Ridgway overnight. Clear and sunshine this morning. However ----

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND JUNCTION HAS ISSUED A
WINTER STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT
THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING.

* TIMING: SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND
CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING.

* SNOW ACCUMULATION: 8 TO 16 INCHES IS POSSIBLE.

[jazzlover]

It appears that there is finally some chinks in the armor of the high pressure dome that has been dominating the Southwest for many weeks. The result may be finally some snow for Colorado's southern mountains. As usual, the Colorado media has been Front Range-centric--gushing over the snow over the Front Range, that caused mostly by intrustions of Arctic air colliding with what limited moisture has crept into those areas. The northern areas of the Western Slope have been just far enough north to live on the fringe of the high pressure dome, so they have gotten some snow in the last few weeks.

What will be interesting to see is if the Southwest high pressure dome reasserts itself as strongly after the passage of this system, or if the weather pattern returns to a more normal winter one. Unforurtunately, it will take a very abnormally wet pattern for the rest of the winter and spring to get southern Colorado out of very serious drought trouble by summer. I consider that unlikely, based on decades of weather-watching. There is also the possibility, if that were to occur, that could diminish the moisture tap for the northern half of Colorado and possibly the Front Range and Eastern Plains.

[Josseppie]

This is from the NWS in Pueblo:

Looks like the high pressure system that has kept the West so dry this winter has finally broken down--at least for now. A strong Pacific jet stream is carrying abundant tropical moisture from the Hawaiian Islands to the Pacific Northwest and beyond--a "Pineapple Express". This jet stream will move into Colorado on Wednesday, bringing very heavy snow to the central mountains through the end of the week. Image shows satellite water vapor imagery from yesterday evening; the white stream is moisture moving with the Pacific jet.

[jim9251]

The national weather service in grand junction has issued a
winter storm warning for heavy snow...which is in effect from
midnight tonight to midnight mst friday night. The winter storm
watch is no longer in effect.
* timing: Snowfall will begin late tonight and continue through
friday evening.
* snow accumulation: 10 to 20 inches with locally higher amounts.

[bongo]

We're moving easily toward a ft of snow now in CB. Very wet skiing this morning. Coming heavily down.

[jim9251]

It's been around 50 degrees all day here in Ridgway, some light rain. BTW HWY 550 at Red Mountain Pass "may be" opening Friday to one lane. CDOT has been putting netting up trying to control a major rockslide.