Colorado Weather Discussion Thread

[SterlingSpikeDancer]

Ed Green hyping the storm up, calling for 16" in town. Cue snowmageddon overhype in 3...2...1...

[bean]

MODELS ACTUALLY MOVE THIS
WAVE INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS RATHER QUICKLY WITH SOME DIMINISHMENT
OF SNOWFALL LATE FRI NIGHT AND SAT AM. THE AIRMASS IS INITIALLY
WARM ENOUGH FOR SOME RAIN OR MIX RAIN/SNOW EARLY FRI EVENING
BEFORE BECOMING COLD ENOUGH FOR ALL SNOW OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER THE
BEST QG ASCENT WILL BE WELL INTO KANSAS BY THE TIME THAT TURNOVER
OCCURS. SO OVERALL SNOW AMOUNTS FRI NIGHT MAY NOT BE ALL THAT
IMPRESSIVE. IN FACT LATEST 06Z NAM/GFS HAVE TAPERED BACK SNOWFALL
AMOUNTS AND THE NAM ALMOST "SKIPS" THE FRONT RANGE COMPLETELY.

This storm's gonna fizzle so hard it'll make Kathy Sabin's head spin. Nobody go skiing this weekend, it's going to totally suck. Tell your friends.

Sangres are gonna get absolutely hammered though, NOAA Pueblo calling 2-4' total.

[fastfred]

Ed Green hyping the storm up, calling for 16" in town. Cue snowmageddon overhype in 3...2...1...

winter is just getting started that's 16 inches and town and 32 inches in the foothills and 0 in summit and eagle believe it

pres day weekend was relatively quiet so I am predicting a shit show of EPIC proportions this weekend for the i70 resorts

[kailas]

Damn that looks tasty. Where?

Your using my copy written word I invented many a year ago. Just now waiting for my new bumper sticker, No Mas Texass.

[MuchosPixels]

This next "storm" has all the makings of a skunker for Eagle Co. and maybe even Summit. The jet is still too east of Co. so Colorado is on the "unhappy" side of it still. Been the norm this winter. Forecast is counting on this to change, and pronto. If it does not, well, we can expect little snowfall at the major Colorado Resorts. If the jet gets close then we can expect a LOT of wind and not much snow. If Colorado gets on the "Happy" side of the jet this will be a big snow event. Outcome still up in the air. This one could be a game changer or a dud. Flip a coin.

[FromTheValley]

Outcome still up in the air.

Saw what you did there...

[linvillegorge]

I'm always leery when they're forecasting a lot of snow here in the Front Range foothills, but also forecasting decent spillover for the slopes. It seems like every time we get hammered here in Evergreen, the slopes always disappoint. The forecasters come with the same lame excuses, the jet stream slipped slightly eastward, the winds didn't extend to a high enough altitude, yada, yada, yada. It's the same story every time.

I hope this is the one that breaks the mold, but I fully expect to wake up Saturday morning to a lot of snow on my deck and slope snow cams showing an inch or two.

[hatchgreenchile]

This one could be a game changer or a dud. Flip a coin.

Or, it could be what's forecasted, 12-20" E, 7-15" W. That would be a shocker.
Butler/Berthoud pow for breakfast on Sunday sounds tasty.

[WTF is dat]

Breck was so much fun yesterday! Horseshoe and contest bowls were skiing great. Same with everything off imperial. I did the hike to terrain off peak 6. Not worth the hike. Extremely wind affected heavy punchy snow

[Lindahl]

Wonder if Lake Chutes was affected in the same way. It tends to be a bit more protected. North chute on 6.5 might have been good too? Or did you make it out that way, also?

[WTF is dat]

Wonder if Lake Chutes was affected in the same way. It tends to be a bit more protected. North chute on 6.5 might have been good too? Or did you make it out that way, also?

I skied one of the nicer looking lines in the six senses area... not sure of the name, or really where North Chute even is?

I wanted to try Lake Chutes but after the heavy wind impacted snow in the six senses I just decided to ski peak 7 bowl.

[Hott Butt Mud]

402 PM MST THU FEB 19 2015

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT ABOVE 8500 FEET...

* LOCATIONS INCLUDE THE CITIES OF...VAIL...CRESTED BUTTE.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL BEGIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON MAINLY ABOVE 8500 FEET
BEFORE DROPPING TO MOUNTAIN BASES BY EARLY EVENING. SNOW RATES
INCREASE BY LATE AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING FROM VAIL PASS TO
THE ELK MOUNTAINS...WITH HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE. LIGHT TO MODERATE
SNOW AND SNOW SHOWERS THEN PERSIST THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING WITH A
FEW SHORT LULLS DURING THE DAY SATURDAY.

* SNOW ACCUMULATION...8 TO 15 INCHES POSSIBLE WITH THE HIGHEST
AMOUNTS ON WEST FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES PASSES.

* SNOW LEVEL...BEGINNING NEAR 8500 FEET FRIDAY AFTERNOON THEN
DROPPING TO MOUNTAIN BASES BY SUNSET FRIDAY.

ONE CONCERN IS THE
AMOUNT OF MOISTURE AVAILABLE WITH MODELS GENERALLY SHOWING ONLY 0.25
INCH OR LESS PRECIPITABLE WATER AND RATHER WARMISH START. CONVECTIVE
INSTABILITY INCREASES WITH THE INTRUSION OF COLDER AIR ALOFT...AND
PRECIPITATION IN THE AFTERNOON ESPECIALLY SHOULD EXHIBIT A SHOWERY
NATURE AS IT EXPANDS INTO THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL VALLEYS MAKING
SNOWFALL QUITE VARIABLE FROM LOCATION TO LOCATION.

Translation: NOAA wants to keep people prepared, but they still don't know what the fuck is going to happen. Probably going to be another Breck marketing WIN with their snowstake cam.

[The SnowShow]

Doesn't seem like anyone has a really good handle on this one.

Is Breck's snowstake bogus? Does patrol lightly shovel snow onto it, out of view?

[hatchgreenchile]

Yes, let's go with that. Sounds like great work for the VR interns.

[fastfred]

Translation: NOAA wants to keep people prepared, but they still don't know what the fuck is going to happen. Probably going to be another Breck marketing WIN with their snowstake cam.

and the most acurate weather prediction yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you do know that breck ski patrol and ski school go out every morning and literaly blow more snow onto the snow stake just so we can see how many d-bags can fit in one small mountain town

[WTF is dat]

Doesn't seem like anyone has a really good handle on this one.

Is Breck's snowstake bogus? Does patrol lightly shovel snow onto it, out of view?

Snowstake is not bogus but it is placed in a very wind favored high elevation spot on the mountain. The snow stacks up because of that

[Soups]

it is placed in a very wind favored high elevation spot on the mountain. The snow stacks up because of that

So it is kinda bogus then

[thaar]

Unfortunately so. I have been to Breck a number of times on days they've reported huge totals, and have been disappointed due to higher expectations. I believe their snow stake is at chair 6.

Edit: The good thing about that though, is the masses tend to head there on big pow days, leaving other resorts that reported a bit less less crowded with more snow.

[JaytaeMoney]

the forecast looks good, you guys

[bobsdesk]

Forecast looks good, forecast doesn't look good...either way, the real question is: Will this be the weekend where the entire state of the front range gives up, or will they persist driving 4-6 hours one direction Denver to Silverthorne for 3 hours "powder" skiing...?

I mean seriously though...I gave up a long time ago. Maybe I'm not dedicated? Maybe this should be in the I70 bitch thread.

Sorry not sorry.

[The SnowShow]

It looks like Sunday PM could have the makings of a horrible drive back.

[hatchgreenchile]

This sounds like this will be the first weekend in CO history where it snows and the front range wants to go skiing. How will we overcome? Maybe I can figure out how to leave early, late or stay with friends.

Stoked for Sunday & Monday. Maybe a Steamboat surprise in the works. 3 days of whacky wind shifts is the wild card. Winter is back.

[bean]

The wife went to Costco and said the veggie area felt like I-70 ski traffic. Stoked for the Great Fizzle of '15!

[stfu&gbtw]

I predict a winner... A neighbor's brother is coming into town this weekend for his annual visit, and the dude brings snow on the regular. Can't miss.

[bean]

I'm hearing 4" at Winter Park in the past 3 hours and still dumping, I'm looking forward to seeing the weekend totals across the state come Monday.