Colorado Weather Discussion Thread

**Goatski** · 11-23-2009, 06:56 PM

i skied VP today and i only think about 2" fell up there last night/today. tracked up the north side of the hill just north of the radio tower

managed to do 2 runs for about 10 turns each, there was some crust, some bottomless sugar, & some drifted pow... avg. depth ~30"

fremont pass may be a better bet (unless you have a sled)

**Puffin** · 11-24-2009, 10:05 AM

Hey Mags... long time reader, first time poster....

I rode vail from 9-11am yesterday and it was fun. Packed powder. Really weren't enough people there in the morning to ski it off. Def not icy like when it was all manmade...

Word on bridge street is Vista Bahn opens tomorrow for whatever it's worth. It should help disperse the crowd a bit.

Puffin.

**gratzo** · 11-24-2009, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by gunit130

^^^what is CPC again?

Searched but no luck... I'm looking for historical snowfall data for Colorado. Anyone that can provide links would be a nice person.

Historical data isn't easy to get. Here are a few options, though none provide the magic bullet:

Resorts: http://webpages.charter.net/tcrocker818/

Remote mtn locations (SNOTEL): http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/.../colorado.html

Stations around the state: http://www.cocorahs.org/

Official National Weather Service observer reports: http://www7.ncdc.noaa.gov/IPS/coop/coop.html

**Crampedon** · 11-24-2009, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by Puffin

Hey Mags... long time reader, first time poster....

I rode vail from 9-11am yesterday and it was fun. Packed powder. Really weren't enough people there in the morning to ski it off. Def not icy like when it was all manmade...

Word on bridge street is Vista Bahn opens tomorrow for whatever it's worth. It should help disperse the crowd a bit.

Puffin.

Thanks for the report, post what opens up and how it skis if you go up tomorrow. Keep on 'Puffin

**montanaskier** · 11-24-2009, 09:21 PM

really strong High pressure right now. Turkey day will be near 50 degrees at 8k and Friday will be even warmer. A storm approaches for the weekend but looks to split and it doesn't appear to be a big snowmaker....2-4" maybe. Then another strong high pressure builds for next week.

I leave on Friday the 4th for Atlanta and the SEC Championship game, it'll DUMP then.

**tandem3bike** · 11-25-2009, 12:18 AM

.., any mountain bikers here? just new here..

**garuda** · 11-25-2009, 12:24 AM

Weather related content:

**Crampedon** · 11-25-2009, 12:55 AM

Originally Posted by tandem3bike

.., any mountain bikers here? just new here..

1. Delete your post
2. click on sprocket rockets

Escape before the Butt rape begins!

**gratzo** · 11-25-2009, 01:19 AM

Weekend storms = meh. The good news is that there will be snow in the air for most mountains, but only the San Juans and southern Front Range mountains will see the best snow...maybe 4-8" down there IF WE'RE LUCKY.

Latest blog post here: http://www.coloradopowderforecast.co...r-the-horizon/

gunit130 · 11-25-2009, 10:04 AM

Website doesn't show Vista Bahn opening, does anyone know if it is supposed to open today or tomorrow?

Man, at this point I could really use more than one run to ski on.

**Goatski** · 11-25-2009, 10:59 AM

^^ what do you propose to ski from the top of the VB? the catwalk back to Born Free? i don't think they're close to opening International & Pepi's just yet. i hope they wait until 3 & 4 are ready to spin before they fire up the VB and get y'alls hopes up

gratzo - awesome site! one more for the bookmark bar. don't forget that it always dumps when the world cup plans on having their DH race at the Beav

**Puffin** · 11-25-2009, 11:00 AM

Vista Bahn Officially Opens tomorrow with top to bottom skiing access off the gondola.

Foot passengers can ride the lift for free this weekend only.

Info obtained from official Vail Resorts Employee email.

Originally Posted by goat

^^ what do you propose to ski from the top of the VB? the catwalk back to Born Free? i don't think they're close to opening International & Pepi's just yet. i hope they wait until 3 & 4 are ready to spin before they fire up the VB and get y'alls hopes up

It's not that I want the terrain, my friend has a place in the village so I can park there...my house has no bus access... Also I am fairly confident they will open more terrain as the VR company email promised....it will be more than born free. Bear Tree will at least be open...

See you guys up there....

Puff on...

-Puff out.

**Rontele** · 11-25-2009, 02:57 PM

gratzo,

think this persistent ridge forecasted for the long term will break down by the time I go to the Eiseman hut on the 12th?

**gratzo** · 11-25-2009, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by Rontele

gratzo,

think this persistent ridge forecasted for the long term will break down by the time I go to the Eiseman hut on the 12th?

Rontele - easy chief, I think we'll be OK. I'm heading to the Polar Star hut on the 5th, and hoping (praying?) for an inch or two this weekend, then more substantial snow on Wed (Dec 2). Likely at least 1-2 more storms before your hut trip. While the coldest weather will likely stay east of the rockies between now and mid December, Colorado should be on the edge of the storm track and at least have some snow in the central/northern mtns.

**gratzo** · 11-25-2009, 03:27 PM

Anyone up around Berthoud Pass this morning (Wed, Nov 25th)? The weather station up there reported some light snow just before sunrise, but I want a human verification (more out of curiosity than because it will impact snow conditions). The SNOTEL site also reported more storm water equivalent at the same time, but the snow depth decreased. Hmmm...thinking it's just the strong 30-50mph winds blowing snow around and tricking the weather sensors into thinking there's actual new snow falling.

Weekend storm looks crappy, but we could still eek out a few inches here and there. Better potential is next Wednesday (Dec 2).

Storm pipeline into the Pac NW looks to end by later this weekend...but it was a good start for them.

**montanaskier** · 11-25-2009, 04:24 PM

With the end of the PNW pipeline, does that mean the start of a typical El Nino pattern? We need a good week or two with several storms pounding the area. A couple of 30"+ weeks would be nice....not that I don't appreicate these 2-4" weeks we've been having.

**JoeStrummer** · 11-25-2009, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by gratzo

Weekend storms = meh. The good news is that there will be snow in the air for most mountains, but only the San Juans and southern Front Range mountains will see the best snow...maybe 4-8" down there IF WE'RE LUCKY.

Latest blog post here: http://www.coloradopowderforecast.co...r-the-horizon/

I bookmarked your site, thanks!

**hgusgysa** · 11-26-2009, 01:40 AM

Its related to relational database You will have to read RDMS to understand this

**Crampedon** · 11-26-2009, 08:38 PM

"Weather Discussion
Two rather summer like days on tap for the state, east of the divide some places could reach 70 degrees. High pressure is running the show over the western US for a couple more days with the ridge axis over Colorado on Friday morning. Look for colder valley floor low temperatures again Thursday night and warmer up on the hillsides, great inversion pattern. Ridgelines along the Front Ranges and Divide (especially along & north of I-70) could see some blustery winds the next couple days, and to a little less extent into the Sawatch zone. Next trough moves over the west coast Friday morning and models close it off and dive it to the US/MX border by Saturday. It has an appearance of the dreaded split flow. This should start to bring some cirrus clouds to the state Saturday. The actual closed low stays south, and the weaker northern branch grazes the northern zones Saturday night into Sunday, so a chance of snow for the north half of the state on Sunday. Too far out to bet the left over goose drumstick on as these patterns tend to stall or slow a bit. There looks to be a general pattern change for the first week of December, stay tuned."

**montanaskier** · 11-27-2009, 08:34 AM

1-2" for the central zones at most for Saturday night. High pressure rebuilds on Monday and what looked like a decent storm for Wed now looks slower and cold/moisture starved for not much at all. Sunny and 52 today at 8k. Time for some cold and SNOW.

**Crampedon** · 11-27-2009, 11:05 AM

Sounds about right, this site has lots of good features and techy forecasting:

http://wxweb.meteostar.com/disc/

I can hear a wild rooster that is volunteering to be sacrificed, .17 or pistol?

**montanaskier** · 11-27-2009, 11:13 AM

looks like thru mid Dec the storms could ride north to south instead of west to east which would mean moisture starved storms for the most part.

**Rontele** · 11-27-2009, 05:10 PM

Originally Posted by montanaskier

looks like thru mid Dec the storms could ride north to south instead of west to east which would mean moisture starved storms for the most part.

that is what I thought until I took a gander at the 8-14 day today and finally saw some green:

the forecast is only average in terms of accuracy, but its the first green we've seen over the state in some time.

**Name Redacted** · 11-27-2009, 08:02 PM

Originally Posted by Rontele

I just bought some new equipment so it pretty much won't snow now for a while.

Edit to add: the CPC's December precip discussion was not optimistic either.

But again, even if this year is "slightly" below average, we still have like 250 inches of snow to fall.

I just ordered a new pair of 110mm skis so it won't snow all year guys, sorry bout that...........

Good news, biking and climbing are having an extended season this year.

**montanaskier** · 11-28-2009, 09:19 AM

San Juans should pick up a bit with this system but nothing I70 north. 30% chance of rain today at 8k.

Next week looks like a big ole bag of nothing either as the Wednesday storm will now ride to far north to have an impact.

The wait continues.