Summit County Citizens Voice

It could be a stormy week in Colorado

asfasdf

An interesting polar view showing the circulation of storms and the jet stream in the northern hemisphere from Meteostar. Click on the image to see the animated version.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — The Colorado high country could finally see a week of cold and stormy weather as the jet stream sets up in a pattern favorable to the northern mountains, bringing a series of hard-to-time weather disturbances into the area through the end of the coming week.

For Sunday and Sunday night, a winter weather advisory is in effect for the western mountains, extending to Vail Pass. The heaviest snow should fall Sunday evening and into the night, with anywhere from 2 to 10 inches expected. The highest amounts will fall on slopes favored by a southwest flow.

An undulating jet stream will  be over western Colorado most of week, according to  National Weather Service forecasters in Grand Junction, who said in the Sunday morning forecast discussion that snowfall is expected on and off through Saturday.

Here’s an excerpt:

“VERY IMPRESSIVE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE FORECAST THROUGH SATURDAY WITH MODELS PAINTING ALMOST NON-STOP PRECIP FOR GORE/PARK RANGES. OF COURSE…THERE WILL BE TIMES WHEN SNOW STOPS AND SOME SUN WILL SHINE THROUGH BUT BEFORE TOO LONG…ANOTHER WAVE WILL MOVE OVERHEAD BRINGING MORE SNOWFALL.”

For starters, today’s storm is starting to wind up over the southwestern part of the state, where heavy snow could fall from the San Juans up through the West Elks, with lesser amounts expected for the Vail and Summit County zones under a southwest flow. For Sunday night, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center is forecasting 3 to 5 inches for the western part of the zone (from Vail Pass west), with only a trace to 3 inches expected in the eastern areas.

The individual disturbances are hard to time, but a stronger burst of snow — along with much colder temps — could arrive Thursday, when a strong cold front surges through the area.

The National Weather Service expects to hoist some winter weather statements and warnings by the latter part of the week:

"UNLESS THERE ARE SOME DRASTIC CHANGES...WARNING AMTS OF SNOWFALL ARE
LIKELY FOR THOSE AREAS WHERE NW FLOW IS FAVORED.  OF COURSE...WITH
OFF AND ON SNOW FROM TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY IT WOULD BE HARD /NOT/
TO HIT WARNING AMTS.  AS FAR AS LOCATIONS ARE CONCERNED...THE NRN
MTNS AND TO SOME EXTENT THE CENT MTNS AND ALSO THE WHITE RIVER
PLATEAU WILL SEE SNOWFALL.  THE UPPER YAMPA RIVER VALLEY MAY ALSO
SEE SOME SNOW ACCUMULATION."

Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, La Niña, snow, Snow and weather, Summit County snow and weather Tagged: | Colorado snow, Colorado weather, La Niña, Colorado winter storm