From Friday the 30th:
NWS has issued a High Wind Wanring for much of eastern CO, including our foothills from midnight tonight through 5 pm Saturday for strong westerly winds of 25-60 mph, with some gusts to 80 mph. This may cause blowing and drifting snow across highways and reduce visbilities in prone or exposed areas. Some delays or closures are possible.
A fast moving upper trough will move to the north of us on Saturday and cause strong upper level winds and a strong surface pressure gradient tonight through Saturday. Snow should be confined to the central and northern mountains, although we may see some blow off or slop over snow flurries Saturday morning like we did on Thursday in the foothills, but no accumulation expected east of a line from Longs Peak to Kenosha Pass. High country may see a few inches on Saturday. Upper winds look stronger with this system than the Thursday wind event. A cold front will accompany this system on Saturday morning, so temps will cool down after Noon, but strong winds will remain through Saturday eveing. Winds should die down after 8 pm Saturday night for the New Years revelers.
Upper ridge will then build in across the Inter-Mountain West and brings mild temps and dry conditions from Sunday through Friday. Next chance for snow looks like next weekend.
The latest 3 month climate outlook fron the Climate Prediction Center calls for above average precipitation across northwest CO west of the Divide, and near normal precipitation across esatern CO. This indicates more La Nina type conditions from January through March, so better snow chances in the mountains, while we will likely see more wind events with occasional snow, and the chance for an arctic outbreak.
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"Climatology is what you expect, Weather is what you get".
"It is better to be roughly right than precisely wrong".
Too bad future generations aren't here to see all the great things we are spending their $$ on!!
