Colorado Weather Discussion Thread

[Lightning1911]

9600'... But right on the saddle dividing two valleys, looking at Witter, Eva, CO Mines, etc to the west, and GGSP to the east. It's oddly calm here most of the time (compared to G-Town or Alice) but when it gets going, hold the fuck on... Chainsaw is already in the truck. Don't expect to be getting far without it.

I'm at Alice, I heard it was windy, but I wasn't home for the last few days. The whole driveway was drifted in when I got home. The plow truck, struggled with the north driveway, but eventually got it open. It's nice up here now.

[stfu&gbtw]

Seems like everything survived... No big deal. I don't have an exact reading from last night, but since the sheathing project the house can handle low triple digits with very little drama. Last night there was some drama. Most of the snow was pretty packed before it started blowing around, so not too many drifts, but the ones we had were like the texture of aspirin tablets. Nice part about that is at least it fractures and I can pick it apart. Other times, it's like plowing wet cement... But even in a 10k# truck with a 9' blade, it took some finesse to move the snow and not break anything.

[stfu&gbtw]

Had my kids playset get blown through the family room window yesterday afternoon in Arvada, so I believe all of the foothill measurements.

STFU, what did your max gust top out at on the saddle? I had clients up there a while back that said the same thing, when it went hard, it was kinda scary!

That's the nightmare scenario... shit flying through windows and broken glass flying into the house. Hope everyone is okay. Worst I've had was a wooden picnic table that got thrown 30' across the deck and through the deck railing... That was the first winter, and since then, every single thing is either inside or anchored to a fixed object by the end of October.

[goldengatestinx]

8600ft here in Golden Gate Canyon just to the east of a saddle (which with west or NW winds acts as a venturi when the wind comes into the narrower canyon )and had wind from the north. Crazy long gusts last night were pounding the north side of the house. The anemometer is on a deck railing on the south west side so wasn't spoiling up for the true wind speeds so only had 60 mph recorded.

Hate those north winds comin down the hill. Even with a 'wind proof' stove pipe cap we still get downdrafts. Had to air the place out only once last night though.

[SterlingSpikeDancer]

That's the nightmare scenario... shit flying through windows and broken glass flying into the house. Hope everyone is okay. Worst I've had was a wooden picnic table that got thrown 30' across the deck and through the deck railing... That was the first winter, and since then, every single thing is either inside or anchored to a fixed object by the end of October.

Luckily, everyone is totally fine. It was the lower level of a split level home. I was one level up, daughter was upstairs, and wife was out front, so no people or dogs hurt by glass, and really only found glass about halfway across the room. This stupid playset has "wandered" before in high winds, but this was a first for window contact, and may have finally sealed it's fate as something that doesn't need to live here anymore! Sounded like a shotgun blast downstairs. Just thankful no living things and really minimal property damage done (it was the moveable slider side of the window).

[SkeezeBall]

Luckily, everyone is totally fine. It was the lower level of a split level home. I was one level up, daughter was upstairs, and wife was out front, so no people or dogs hurt by glass, and really only found glass about halfway across the room. This stupid playset has "wandered" before in high winds, but this was a first for window contact, and may have finally sealed it's fate as something that doesn't need to live here anymore! Sounded like a shotgun blast downstairs. Just thankful no living things and really minimal property damage done (it was the moveable slider side of the window).

I was at my sisters in Arvada last night too and they lost shingles and a window shutter. All their patio furniture was pinned against the fence ha

[Danno]

We have a trampoline in our yard in Boulder, but we're at my MIL's house, so hopefully it stayed put. It is tied down pretty well, or so I'd like to think.

[stfu&gbtw]

^ I know one way to find out!

It had been pretty calm this fall, and I went to a neighbors house for a couple of hours one night. It was totally dead calm when I left. Came home around 10 and the first minor wind storm had kicked up. Probably not gusting over 50mph... Only problem was our 16'x22' canopy that we put up in the summer was still up, and was actively trying to rip the steel frame's 3" screw anchors out of the deck. I ran up, grabbed some pruning shears, and began cutting the bungee tie downs off the tarp as quickly as possible, with the flapping and shaking increasing as each cord got severed... Finally got the last one cut and the tarp instantaneously shot 75' in the air and flew the better part of 400' into the woods below the house. Nearly made it to the trail. I'm pretty sure if I'd come home an hour later, I'd have found the collapsed steel frame sticking through the window in my office.

[cmsummit]

Wind blown stuff was damn good damn in places at Breck.

Horseshoe Bowl skied great on Xmas eve and yesterday....creamy, wind-loaded laps on Lulu's and never a line at the t-bar. Tourists are pussies. I'll take it.

[adrenalated]

Anyone been out in RMNP recently? Will be in Loveland for a wedding this weekend, hoping to sneak out for a tour and wondering how conditions have been.

[garuda]

Anyone been out in RMNP recently? Will be in Loveland for a wedding this weekend, hoping to sneak out for a tour and wondering how conditions have been.

I haven't been in the Park yet this season, but this Ob is helpful (in case you didn't already see it): http://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/ob...p?obs_id=43751

[adrenalated]

I haven't been in the Park yet this season, but this Ob is helpful (in case you didn't already see it): http://avalanche.state.co.us/caic/ob...p?obs_id=43751

I did see that, thanks. That graupel layer was mentioned in a couple other obs, interested to dig around and see what that layer and the NSF's mentioned are doing.

[WTF is dat]

Suncrust today on south facing aspects around 12,000 feet in summit county.


Wtf? Suncrust in December ?

[Foggy_Goggles]

It does seem like all the weather does is get stranger and stranger.

My house:

Yesterday at 5am -32*
Today at 5am +30*

Check the winds. Gusting over 90mph at the pass last night.

[Telemarketeer]

Neither one of those occurrences are strange for CO.

[rmnpsplitter]

Anyone been out in RMNP recently? Will be in Loveland for a wedding this weekend, hoping to sneak out for a tour and wondering how conditions have been.

I was out in the Dream Lake area on Xmas eve but haven't been out since the winds were really ripping the last couple days. Find the wind deposit zones in the trees and you should be good to go. Coverage is pretty good for this time of year.

[Foggy_Goggles]

Neither one of those occurrences are strange for CO.

Thanks Tomer. I'm sure you've got some statistics to prove otherwise but I'll anecdotally tell you this, in 20+ years of living in the Fraser Valley a. 60+ degree temperature swings 5am one day to 5am the next are rare. b. Overnight lows only slightly below freezing in the end of December are also rare.

I'm not sure what your point is an I certainly wasn't trying to state a scientific fact only to say that, in my opinion, strange weather events seem to have been a bit more common the last few years.

[Telemarketeer]

Thanks Tomer. I'm sure you've got some statistics to prove otherwise but I'll anecdotally tell you this, in 20+ years of living in the Fraser Valley a. 60+ degree temperature swings 5am one day to 5am the next are rare. b. Overnight lows only slightly below freezing in the end of December are also rare.

I'm not sure what your point is an I certainly wasn't trying to state a scientific fact only to say that, in my opinion, strange weather events seem to have been a bit more common the last few years.

A temperature inversion one day, and not the next. Calm winds with a temp inversion cause cold air to sink to the valley, then a warm SW flow (chinook possibly) comes and blows the cold air out of the valley replacing it with warm air. Not that it happens all the time or anything, but it happens every few years, especially in areas like Granby, Kremmling, or Gunnison, maybe you just didn't notice. Google it and you'll see recorded occurrences all over the western US for as long as they've kept records. Sorry, not trying to be a prick, I was mainly referring to the AMAZING suncrust on a south aspect.

[BFD]

SW Flow has a nice ring to it.

[Shredhead]

SW Flow has a nice ring to it.

Yes, it's a good thing. Unless it gets too warm or it brings the dust.
If you make it up to the Elks, drop me a line.

[goldenboy]

Looks like 6 or 7 new for today's NFL opening. Flow looks to be from the W or W/SW all week, doesn't get any better than that. In other words, if you have some days to burn at CB, this would be a good week to do it.

[montanaskier]

Skied Vail this morning and it's a bit of a mess. Spring like on anything E or S facing. Quite a bit of dirt in high traffic areas. Sidecountry was funky too with suncrusts, heavy pow, etc...did find some soft snow on N aspects outside the gates. It's been so warm, let's hope this week delivers some new.

Also wee were skiing a popular sidecountry area and we were the only ones with gear. I asked two snowboarders if they'd ever thought about carrying gear or if they'd ever had a class or if they looked at the CAIC reports. One guy told me he'd been riding that area for 4 or 5 years so he should be good and neither had ever heard of CAIC.

[Name Redacted]

One guy told me he'd been riding that area for 4 or 5 years so he should be good and neither had ever heard of CAIC.

Maybe he just couldn't understand your thick Bama accent. Roll Tide! It's gonna get cold, the weather man said so.

[Lightning1911]

One guy told me he'd been riding that area for 4 or 5 years so he should be good and neither had ever heard of CAIC.

Did you ask him which car was his so we know which one to have towed after he gets himself killed..

[DasBlunt]

At least they are thinking about it now.