Looking ahead...

We have come back above freezing after a cold, snowy Christmas week - and the way things look we should remain so for the extended period. There is one blip on the radar Wednesday night and Thursday as a quick cold front may give us enough upslope for some snow. At this point there is only about a 30% chance of precip, and accumulation does not look all that impressive. If we can get the front to drop in from just the right direction we may see a quick burst of decent snow... we shall see!

By the weekend we should warm into the 40s, with nights remaining quite cold through the period. Nothing too impressive on the horizon - but we all know how things can change!

Another 1 - 3"

Light snow will continue off and on into the evening, with another 1 to 3 inches expected around the region. Some heavier snow bands will bring isolated areas more than that, and other areas could very well be on the lower end of that prediction. Another cold front pushing south at this time is expected to keep the snow showers going for several more hours, and also bring with it a reinforcing shot of cold air and wind. Thursday and Friday highs will will hover around 20 degrees, but we could see some sunshine again as early as tomorrow.

Warmer for the weekend!

Storm Moves In...

Already snowing on the eastern plains, with a solid dry slot keeping us out of the action for now. This is reflected well in the warnings and forecasts, as the heaviest snows are expected well east of town. The National Weather Service is still predicting 4 - 8 inches in town before this is said and done tomorrow night... I remain skeptical, as many of these types of storms that favor the eastern plains miss us completely. That said, if the forecast holds true... we could be in for a very snowy 24 hours!

Snow!

While the heaviest snow will be west and east of Denver, there is enough confidence about the incoming storm that the NWS has now issued a *winter weather advisory* for all of the urban corridor. Total accumulation expected to range from 4 - 8 inches in town, with 5 - 10 out east. Wind and cold will be the other story, with the potential for blowing and drifting snow through the day Wednesday. Any lingering snow showers are expected to exit the area early Thursday, leaving cold (but dry) weather for Christmas Eve and Christmas day.

Any variation in storm track over the next 12 to 24 hours will greatly effect storm totals. Stay tuned as we may end up with nothing (it's happened before), or with a bigger storm on our hands! Here is a map showing the more severe warnings east of the metro area (pink).

Winter to Return

We will push 60 degrees again today as a warm, dry southerly wind gets pushed into the state ahead of the next cold front due in Tuesday night. A lot of uncertainty remains surrounding the exact track of this storm. At this point it looks like it will remain well south of the area bringing us just light snow over a prolonged period. The NWS is forecasting 3-6 inches with this current path, but suggests the storm is still far enough out that this could change quite a bit in the next 24 hours. For now the only advisories for the plains are well east of Denver where it looks like even with a southerly track the storm will be a bit stronger. The other story will be the cold. By Thursday temperatures will be some 40 degrees cooler than today.

According to this article by the NWS, the chance of there being at least an inch of snow on the ground for Christmas is about 36% over the last 107 years in Denver. The chance of measurable snowfall on Christmas day is about 13%.... Looks like this year we may at least have the former of the two!

Monster Storm Set to Bury Nation's Capital, Northeast

All the attention will be focused on the east for the next 12 to 48 hours. A monster winter storm is moving up the east coast, working its way into Washington DC this evening, and later clipping most of the major cities in New England. Snowfall totals will range from 6 to 24 inches, with heavy snow and wind creating blizzard conditions. Here is a quick screen shot of the storm from the weather channel... Notice that Virginia is almost completely covered with heavy snow bands at this hour, and according to CNN they have already declared a state of emergency. Wish I was there! For Denver... This weekend will remain warm and dry. Boring. Next week's weather could change a little as mentioned in my previous post, but thus far nothing too impressive on the horizon. A good bet temps will drop during the middle of next week, and could be talking about some (light) snow at some point as well. Until then, enjoy the 40s, 50s and sun!

A White Christmas?

It will remain seasonable through early next week. The extended forecast suggests there could be changes on the way for the middle part and end of next week... but at this point is too far out to be sure about anything and does not look all that impressive. Could be we see cooler temps and some precip as we head into the Christmas holiday. Not banking on a white Christmas just yet...

Bitterly Cold

Near record lows this morning as DIA recorded a morning low of -17 degrees F. A wind chill advisory has been issued for much of the state with windchill readings anywhere from 25 to 50 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. Check out the weather channel's map of windchill values from around region this morning. Wow!Temperatures will climb to about 20 degrees today, just the beginning of a good warming trend. By the weekend highs should be back in the balmy 40s, with no precipitation for lower elevations in the extended forecast at this time.

Impressive Storm...

...not so impressive for Denver.
While we can still expect some still light snow banding through the day today, the heaviest snows have stayed in the mountains and jumped well east of the state this morning. Would not be surprised if we manage to add up a few fluffy inches during the day today, but that should be about it. The cold, however, continues to be very impressive. Highs will struggle to get out of the single digits today, and we will likely drop below zero tonight for the first time in quite some time.
Look how big this storm is:

I Love Maps Too!

And because of that, thought I would share some more maps on the current storm! The first image is the latest national radar, and shows the potent winter storm working its way through the desert southwest at this hour. The next two maps show the snowfall forecast, first nationally, then regional. The regional snowfall forecast clearly shows Denver missing out in the action for the heaviest snow. All images pulled from The Weather Channel. Click images to enlarge...



Full blog on storm found here.

More Snow...

As expected, the National Weather Service has issued a *winter weather advisory* for the entire urban corridor and eastern plains from tonight through Tuesday. Snowfall totals are expected to be anywhere between 4 - 8 inches, with more possible in the snow favored areas in the region. I remain somewhat skeptical as some sources are only calling for 1 - 3 inches... but with temperatures as cold as they are, even light snow will will give us rapid, fluffy accumulation. Check out the latest warning map from the NWS, which now shows Denver under highlights. The map also shows the extent of this major winter storm. For more, refer to this morning's blog.

Wild, Wild West

Another potent storm is working its way into Colorado this morning. The mountains will finally get their first good snowfall for the year with several areas in the southwest expected to receive 1-3 of the white stuff! The way the system is coming across is not favorable for a heavy snow in Denver, but the National Weather Service is suggesting we may reach advisory criteria later this evening and tomorrow.
Today: 50% chance of snow... and cold. Similar to yesterday with highs hovering in the mid teens.
Tonight: A good chance of snow, total accumulation 2-4 inches.
Tomorrow: A good chance of snow, especially in the morning, additional accumulation of 3-5 inches possible. Highs in the teens and falling through the day.
Check back later as the snow total forecast is likely to change, especially if they end up issuing a winter storm advisory at some point today.
Here are three images from the wild weather in the region. The first shows the approaching storm that is dumping rain and snow in the southwest, with snow just now working its way into Colorado. The second shows the extreme cold we are dealing with today and tomorrow... and the third shows the watching and warnings for the U.S. Notice the pinks and reds west and east of Denver, and nothing over Denver... hopefully this will change in the next few hours! Click to enlarge!


*sources: NWS and the Weather Channel.

*Update*

*Winter weather advisory* issued for Denver, and the entire urban corridor from late tonight through Sunday evening. The NWS issued this advisory at 10:22am this morning, calling for 4 - 8 inches of snow during this time period. Snow will come to an end Sunday evening... before potentially picking up again Monday. See my post from earlier today for more on the extended forecast.

Deep Freeze Returns, More Snow

Shaping up to be one of the a very interesting forecast for the next two to three days.
The first blast of cold air will move into the area tonight. Snow is expected to develop behind the front and continue off and on through Tuesday. The National Weather Service is calling for 1-2 inches tonight, with an additional 3-5 inches during the day Sunday. For the later days too much uncertainty remains to predict how much additional snow will fall, but with a 60% chance of snow Monday and Monday night, it is likely we will add to these totals. Snow throughout the period will generally be light, if we get decent accumulation it will likely be due to the duration of the snowfall. The other big story over the next days will be the temperatures. Temperatures will fall below freezing tonight - and likely not get back above freezing until Thursday. The forecast for Tuesday could see the coldest air of the year with highs in the single digits.

At this point the NWS has not issued any warnings or advisories. As the forecast continues to come together, this could change. Stay tuned!

I said "Brrr!" It's cold out there!

Lows will push zero degrees tonight! Stay warm.

Brief moderation in temperatures for Friday and Saturday before we get slammed by more arctic air for Sunday and Monday. This system is expected to be very similar to the one over the last 24 hours, with cold temperatures and light snow.

Light Snow and Cold

Temperatures have already started to fall as part of a sharp cold front that is pushing into the area at this time. Light snow is expected to develop this evening and continue at times through Wednesday, with total accumulations of 2 - 4 inches expected in the city. Highs will likely remain well below freezing for the next several days, with overnight lows dropping into the single digits.

Winter Chill

It is finally going to feel a little more like winter over the next week. Things will get kicked off this afternoon when a strong cold front pushes into the area. Light snow is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow, but the National Weather Service is only calling for 1-4 inches total accumulation here in the city. The big story will be the chill! Temperatures will remain in the 20s for Wednesday and Thursday, before moderating a bit Friday. Then watching another system for late in the weekend which should knock back temps again, and introduce another chance for light snow. Do not expect to see any 60 degree readings again for awhile!