Summit County Citizens Voice

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Unsettled pattern to persist through mid-week

Even a roadside mud puddle looks good with some fresh snow. May 21. Frisco, Colorado.

Readings from automated SNOTEL sites show a snowpack that's twice average for this date across large parts of the West.

By Bob Berwyn

SUMMIT COUNTY — Saturday’s storm dropped another 13 inches of snow at A-Basin, pushing the base back up over 100 inches with a 48-hour snow total of 20 inches — and it looks like Ullr isn’t quite done with us yet.

Showery weather is forecast to persist through mid-week, with another chance for significant snow early in the coming week, through with warmer temperatures, most of the accumulations will be confined to the higher elevations.

Specifically, there’s enough moisture in the airmass over the high country to fuel convective showers and thunder storms Sunday afternoon, when the high temperature will reach about 50 degrees, 9 degrees below the average. The record high for the date is 74 degrees, set just a few years ago, in 2005. And before we feel to sorry for ourselves, consider that the record low for the date (in Frisco) is zero, set way back in 1933.

Some short wave energy will move through the area Monday, increasing the chance for widespread showers. Snow levels are forecast to stay above 10,000 feet, so weather advisories just yet.

Tuesday afternoon and evening also look to be showery and cool, though forecasters haven’t pinned down the exact timing of the systems yet. An overall unsettled pattern continues across the West beyond mid-week, but some models are suggesting the next few waves will stay north of Colorado.

Meanwhile, the very real threat of flooding in the West is getting national coverage in this New York Time story and at Weather.com.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/us/22snow.html

http://beta.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/flood-fears-west_2011-05-20

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, flooding, La Niña, seasons, snow, Snow and weather, Summit County snow and weather, Weatherblog Tagged: | Arapahoe Basin, Colorado, Frisco Colorado, National Weather Service, SNOTEL, Summit County Colorado, Summit County News, summit county weather, United States