Colorado Weather Discussion Thread

**fish** · 02-06-2009, 08:01 AM

here it comes!

**montanaskier** · 02-06-2009, 09:06 AM

HIGH snow levels today and tomorrow.....like 9k high. Just like the last storm we had, rain in the valleys. RAIN sucks! An active pattern and cooler weather finally arrives next week.

**pappag** · 02-06-2009, 09:49 AM

From CAIC:

Substantial snowfall (2 feet plus) is likely for the Southern San Juan through Sunday. Other locations favored by southwest flow including Grand Mesa, the Flat Tops and Steamboat areas could receive up to a foot.

An active pattern is expected to continue through next week with a series of storms driving south into California and then east to Colorado.

**jgoldsmith729** · 02-06-2009, 09:50 AM

Oh headed to silverton! Let the snow start early! 285 or i70 from Denver? What say you all?

**smmokan** · 02-06-2009, 09:56 AM

Depending on when you're going... but I'd go I-70.

**jgoldsmith729** · 02-06-2009, 11:50 AM

im leaving at 12:00..? 285 seems like a more interesting drive

**smmokan** · 02-06-2009, 01:00 PM

Sure its more interesting... but I-70 is faster.

**Shredhead** · 02-06-2009, 01:26 PM

From CAIC:

locations favored by southwest flow including ........ Steamboat areas could receive up to a foot.

Steamboat favored by a SW Flow? I've always though of them with N-NW.

Elk's = SW

**montanaskier** · 02-06-2009, 02:14 PM

Steamboat is not a SW flow normally, but the nature of this storm means the N should do etter than the central mtns. It was 43 degrees at 8500k at 10am today. As has been the case, we desperately need a cold air mass.

**UGASkiDawg** · 02-06-2009, 03:49 PM

Fireweather is dialing back the 36 hr predictions for Silverton and are predicting nothing for Steamboat

**pappag** · 02-06-2009, 04:45 PM

Looks like a much stronger 2nd wave is coming Mon thru Wednesday.

**skiandbike** · 02-06-2009, 05:56 PM

Officially one week until a long-awaited Silverton trip...latest GJ forecast discussion has me cautiously optimistic

THE CURRENT RUN OF THE PRECIP CONSERVATIVE GFS IS PRODUCING 2-3 FEET OF NEW SNOW IN THE MTNS BY NEXT FRIDAY...

MORE ENERGY IS DIGGING THE BACKSIDE OF THIS TROUGH FOR A FUN
SNOW-FILLED WEEKEND NEXT.

WELCOME BACK TO WINTER!

**hitek79** · 02-06-2009, 06:34 PM

WOOOO HOOOO, I got my wife some powder skis finally, so finally I can drag her along with me Tuesday.

**montanaskier** · 02-07-2009, 09:03 AM

Southwest to get dumped on pretty good with this system. I expect little to nothing in Eagle County until late next week.

**shirk** · 02-07-2009, 04:02 PM

What can be expected for Keystone Tues, Wed, and Thurs?

Hope I don't get whollopped by weather between Vancouver and Keystone I have a long drive ahead of my starting tomorrow morning.

**PowTrees** · 02-07-2009, 04:03 PM

This weather is tragic for my exercise and number of days on the hill, but I'm getting caught up with work/paperwork! Not unexpected that it will dump late next week instead of on the weekend...

Originally Posted by montanaskier

Southwest to get dumped on pretty good with this system. I expect little to nothing in Eagle County until late next week.

**montanaskier** · 02-07-2009, 04:12 PM

Originally Posted by shirk

What can be expected for Keystone Tues, Wed, and Thurs?

Hope I don't get whollopped by weather between Vancouver and Keystone I have a long drive ahead of my starting tomorrow morning.

Again, I don't personally like the forecast for the Eagle/Summit zones until late next week. We'll see what develops.

**powder_prophet** · 02-07-2009, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by shirk

What can be expected for Keystone Tues, Wed, and Thurs?

An inch here and there, multi-colored tall-tees, and flat-bills.

Why on God's green Earth would you drive from Vancover to ski at Keystone?!? So many better places in between...

**funkendrenchman** · 02-07-2009, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by powder_prophet

An inch here and there, multi-colored tall-tees, and flat-bills.

Why on God's green Earth would you drive from Vancover to ski at Keystone?!? So many better places in between...

He's not going to Keystone for the epic skiing...

**PowTrees** · 02-07-2009, 04:38 PM

Any chance for an up sloper to hit skistoned? (I don't pay any attention to East slope weather since I mostly turn on the west slope...) Ya never know the once in a long while the weather will back up on the great plains, spread back west and shower Keystone with good moisture, but not Vail...

Originally Posted by montanaskier

Again, I don't personally like the forecast for the Eagle/Summit zones until late next week. We'll see what develops.

**montanaskier** · 02-07-2009, 04:47 PM

Originally Posted by PowTrees

Any chance for an up sloper to hit skistoned? (I don't pay any attention to East slope weather since I mostly turn on the west slope...) Ya never know the once in a long while the weather will back up on the great plains, spread back west and shower Keystone with good moisture, but not Vail...

Not much of a chance is my guess. This pattern is welcome in the fact that it is a return to clouds and it shouldn't be 45 this week. However, while moisture is in place to a degree, I don't see good wind flow or cold temps in that good crystal growth development range to promote lots of snow. It is more unsettled across the west and that is good, but we still need some cold air and better winds to get lots of snow. That being said, I recognize that I don't really have a clue and we could get 4 feet tonight.....I just doubt it.

Eagle county could get a couple of inches tomorrow late and that is about it. Then another shot for a couple of inches on Tuesday. The best shot looks to be the end of next week with the possibility of a good cold core finally moving into the area.

**PowTrees** · 02-07-2009, 05:13 PM

"A 20 percent chance of snow after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. South wind around 10 mph."
-NWS for Vail Saturday night.

just waiting for those northwesterly winds to return (has a nice ring to it)...

I have no idea what kind of storm produces the famed upslope conditions ( I assume not the northwesterly stuff that treats Vail so well

), but I do have fond memories of driving to A-Basin years and years ago when I-70 was closed from Frisco all the way to at least Georgetown. Loveland pass was closed from the Basin to I-70 east. A Giant avalanche near (west? of) Georgetown across I-70 took a few days to clean up. You had to drive Dillon Dam rd from Frisco to Silverthorn and up Hwy 6 to get to A-Basin, but I figured it would be good since only Summit and Eagle locals would make it. Watched them bomb from the helicopter for like an hour before we were allowed to drive all the way to the basin. The snow was deep, but certainly not "blower"...

**funkendrenchman** · 02-07-2009, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by PowTrees

just waiting for those northwesterly winds to return (has a nice ring to it)...

I have no idea what kind of storm produces the famed upslope conditions ( I assume not the northwesterly stuff that treats Vail so well

),

Back door cold fronts from the NE and lows that track through Northeastern N. Mexico.

**fish** · 02-07-2009, 06:38 PM

Originally Posted by powder_prophet

An inch here and there, multi-colored tall-tees, and flat-bills.

Why on God's green Earth would you drive from Vancover to ski at Keystone?!? So many better places in between...

agreed, 300%
unless you really like terrain parks

**montanaskier** · 02-08-2009, 08:53 AM

While long range forecasts still show precip all week, I continue to not really see it. As long as the temps remain so warm, 24 days in a row of highs above freezing at 8k, it's not gonna snow much. The low ejecting out of Cali today seems to slow and too far south to have much impact here. Still think the San Juans will do well. The cold core that looked like it would move in late next week now doesn't look as good. We'll see how it all shakes out.