Colorado Weather Discussion Thread

[fastfred]

I don't think this means what you think it means.

I'm not sure I think I know what I think it means, now that summit is offishally a suburb of denver it's never quiet around here except for the occasional may when it snows every day and no one wants to be here

btw blowing snow again, half of it should melt by 1 pm when it hits 50 something, heard a rumor there might be a locals only opening on monday or tuesday

[zartagen]

Born free looks like it got a light dusting.

[Lightning1911]

[SkiBall]

Some 10-15deg lows toward the end of the week forecast. Maybe a little real stuff followed by some good blowing temps. Hey, it's something.

[Lindahl]

I remember when those used to be the highs.

[Lindahl]

Looking good for a thanksgiving opening

[hatchgreenchile]

A few flurries near Lake Granby this AM but nothing sticking yet. Talked to a NPS ranger and he said several inches up on Trail Ridge and that it's likely done for the year

[The SnowShow]

Ridiculously nice day of scrambling around the Flatirons. Ready to flip the switch though.

[Hott Butt Mud]

Guessing we aren't skiing until Thanksgiving. All it takes is one big storm of 24" to get quite a bit of terrain open.

[WTF is dat]

Looking good for a thanksgiving opening

Dumb question but is that petes express?

[Hott Butt Mud]

Yea, that's Two Elk trail.

[SkiBall]

Race Status: It's not hard to look out the window and notice that the weather has been less than ideal. We that live in the Vail Valley know that this is not all that uncommon, and once the weather pattern changes; look out!

The good news is that we are about to get a change in our weather pattern later this week, and it will turn whiter, and more importantly, much colder.

Here is the official statement from the Race Organizing Committee:

“Despite unseasonably warm temps in the Rockies this November, the Audi Birds of Prey World Cup race week is currently planned to continue as normal. Our EverBank America’s Winter Opening schedule is not weather dependent, and we are looking forward to great concerts, Beers of Prey, film showings and other activities in Beaver Creek Dec. 1-4.

Beaver Creek has extraordinary snow-making capabilities that allow them to prepare for the races and the public simultaneously, so that even a relatively short period of cold temps will put us in a position for the mountain to open and for the Vail Valley Foundation to host our annual races this year. We will keep an eye on the weather, and encourage everyone to plan to continue as normal. We will have more detail on or around Thanksgiving week … and of course remember that early season conditions are no indication of how our season in general will go!”

Stay tuned for further details. We will keep you updated in a timely manner. FIS Snow Control is scheduled for Fri. Nov. 18, but there probably won't be an announcement until a few days after.

[Kevo]

In case anyone is wondering, this is the worst start to a season since at least 1999- I couldn't find any data before then. It has never been this dry, this late.



Slice and dice data here.

[Elkhound Odin]

that's ugly. Is CO the new CA?

[SkiBall]

Beav going to open before Vail this year. Next Friday for Vail, next Wed for the Beav. Allegedly.
Still believe it when I see it.

[The SnowShow]

^^^ ugly is right. Come on Ullr!

[hatchgreenchile]

The old "butthurt.jpeg" is late this year!
I don't mind the Indian summer to Thanksgiving, but the jets better turn on big time on November 25.
Even old reliable Wolf Creek is bone dry.

[Danno]

^^^
Pretty much my thinking.

[Kevo]

that's ugly. Is CO the new CA?

In so many ways, yes.

[bobsdesk]

"Pct of normal needed to reach peak: 114%"

[smmokan]

In so many ways, yes.

In about 100,000 ways each year, from what I understand.

[kailas]

Yes. Californiacated.

[media310]

would be interesting if someone would write an article on how good European snow years compare to Colorado specially? Any correlation here? I love Colorado but as someone that loves snow even more I finally moved, otherwise keep looking at Joel's forecast and bitching till Feb. If you do find yourself chasing snow up this way in the Tetons pay attention to this report, closely...

"Western Wyoming received record amounts of precipitation in October. October ended with temperatures that were well above freezing at an elevation of 10,500 for an extended period and heavy rain to that elevation. This warm wet spell was followed by a cold front that brought the snowline down to an elevation of 8,000 feet and deposited 4 to 8 inches of snow at an elevation of 9,500 feet.

A high pressure ridge has dominated the weather during the past two weeks. Skies have been mostly clear. Temperatures have been inverted with overnight lows at or above freezing at 10,500 feet. Daytime highs during these two weeks have routinely been in the 40s and 50s in the mountains and well into the 50s in the valleys.

Terrain below an elevation of 9,000 is bare of snow except for some very steep north facing gullies where tongues of rain crust extend to an elevation of 8,000 feet. At the upper elevations (9,000 to 10,500 feet) steep south facing slopes are bare. Snow persist on slopes that face east through north to west. That snowpack on the most shaded aspects at an elevation of 9,500 feet is comprised of several inches of loose dry faceted snow on top of a hard rain crust and is up to two feet deep. On sunnier aspects surface hoar can be found on top of the October rain crust."

[Kevo]

Moving to Jackson is a temporary solution. Global warming will catch up to Jackson and the next generation there will be bitching like CO people bitch today.

Utah is next though. SLC will be a terrible place to live once it stops snowing in the Wasatch.

[hatchgreenchile]

I love snow and I love Colorado! Do I get a prize?

I bet weather dorks have a hard enough time correlating "Colorado snowfall" (which is pretty vague with all the different basins and ranges here) to eastern US snowfall, let alone another continent and ocean away.