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Summit Forecast – Thursday, April 23, 2009
Low pressure that brought several inches of snow to the summit yesterday and overnight will be departing towards the Canadian Maritimes today. Steadier snow will taper off to showery activity as the surface low departs along with an upper level trough swinging down towards the northeast. The 7 am can collection will probably see totals near 3 to 4 inches based on observations since midnight. For the rest of the day into the night, new snow will be less than three inches. As the surface low departs, it will deepen and as high pressure builds in behind it, the pressure gradient will intensify resulting in high winds today and into the night possibly crossing the century mark by this afternoon if models hold true. These winds will generate cold wind chills although not cold enough for any advisories or warning but still, much cooler than the days ahead. The high winds may also generate white out conditions at times above tree line the next 24 hours as the new snow is whipped about. When gathering the precipitation can at 1 am last night, so much snow was being whipped up, I got to the can and back by counting steps although, as of 4 am this morning, visibility has improved by several feet as the falling snow tapers and the blowing snow continues to settle. In addition to the low visibility, snow is being drifted to deep and high ridges, some a few feet high. The snow will continue to settle today into the overnight as snow packs down in a northwest to southeast fashion as is typical after inches of snow have fallen. Also, new snow from the past 24 hours is possible down to about 2500 feet as the auto road vertical profile showed temperatures below freezing through the night down to about this elevation. I would recommend reading the USFS avalanche bulletin and the backcountry weather page before heading into the back terrain today. Improving visibility will be further aided overnight as the high builds in and drier air gets transported in clearing the fog and clouds above. The high will continue into tomorrow continuing to lower winds, keeping things clear, and beginning a warming pattern through the day and into the weekend. In fact, Saturday and Sunday could see new daily record highs being set. It will be quite a contrast from the weather yesterday and today
