Baseball weather!

To some it may feel that we have completely skipped winter and found ourselves face-first in Spring. To others Spring could not come fast enough. Either way, Spring is here, and that means Opening Day 2011! The Rockies will open their season this Friday with highs pushing a balmy 70 degrees at Coors Field in downtown Denver.

Saturday will be even warmer with highs in the mid 70s under bright sunny skies.

The forecast is set to get a little more dicey towards the end of the weekend, but at the rate we are going this winter I'm tempted to forecast sunny skies and 80 degrees. The Chicago Cubs may have a better shot at winning the World Series than Denver actually getting snow this winter, but nevertheless the forecast Sunday into Monday calls for a chance of rain or snow.

Go Rockies!

img src: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coors_Field

Weather pattern changes in store for Denver

As I hinted to in my post earlier this week, there may finally be some changes on the way for Denver. Several weak disturbances will effect the area about every other day through most of next week, and with that will come our first chances for precip in what feels like forever. Normally such weak and unorganized systems would not earn themselves a mention in the blog, but with our yards turning to dust and fires ravaging the Front Range it seems only appropriate to give them some mention.

Tonight will be our first chance of some moisture, albeit not a very good chance. Best chances will occur well north of Denver and east of town as well. Similar scenarios are set for Sunday and Monday. At this point our best shot at picking up some real moisture may come during the second half of next week, but given the track record of this winter and the extended nature of this forecast, I am unwilling to get too excited as of yet!

#Graupel!

Warm, mild, and windy weather continues

No changes through the coming week for the Front Range. The unseasonably warm and dry weather we have been experiencing over the last week and throughout much of this winter will stick around for what looks like at least another week. Several weak cold fronts will clip the region occasionally, but chances for precipitation and any truly cold weather should be limited - or nonexistent. The mountains may pick up some rain and snow off and on through the week.

Our next pacific storm is due in next weekend, let's see if we can't get some moisture out of it.

Red Flag Warning means more of the same

It warm and dry out there folks, and it is starting to become a problem. It is not every winter that we see a Red Flag Warning during the first week of March, but then again this winter is not like other winters is it. Sure enough the National Weather Service has issued one for much of northeast Colorado today with temperatures soaring into the mid 60s and 20 mph winds. Unfortunately it does not look like there is much reprieve in the extended forecast as temperatures are expected to stay above normal through the period. Only a slight chance of rain or snow showers this weekend, with highs remaining in the 50s and 60s well into next week. While warm weather is nice (yeah, even I can admit that), let's remember how important Spring snows are for Denver as we head into the summer months. After an already incredibly dry winter, it would do all of us some good to get some moisture in the coming weeks.

Remember to change your clocks this weekend!

Another potential storm fizzles away...

With only a dusting to 3 inches now expecting in metro Denver tonight, it begs the question if we will seen any real storms this year. It is no secret that we remain well below average for the season, and according to Examiner Weather these numbers are almost record breaking. According to a tweet by @ExaminerWeather earlier this afternoon "Denver is experiencing its 9th least snowiest season in 128 years"! While incredible, not unbelievable, especially after yet another storm that just days ago looked to be a traditional (and potent) March storm, has dwindled into nothing but cold, fog, and scattered snow showers. Unreal.

Heavy snow to encompass Denver, but how much will we see in town?

The winter storm I mentioned in my previous post continues to take shape to our west. As I have Tweeted over the last 24 - 48 hours, the once potentially potent storm for Denver now looks far less impressive. That being said, rain and snow showers have already developed over parts of the front range and are expected to become more widespread in coverage and turn to all snow as we move into tomorrow evening. As it stands, I will stick with my previous forecast of 3 - 6 inches of snow for Denver by midday Tuesday, but have seen forecast for as little as 2 - 5 and as much as 4 - 8. No matter how you cut it, it looks like we will not be measuring this storm in feet. Overall looks like a sloppy inch or two tonight, and a few more inches tomorrow night into Tuesday.

This latest storm will definitely remind us all it is still winter in Colorado as temperatures plunge into the 20s (for highs!) on Tuesday. I also want to caution that with still several more forecast runs before the brunt of the storm moves in tomorrow some details may still change. Please be sure to check back, and for all the latest follow me on Twitter: @brendansweather.

Below shows winter storm advisories and warnings surrounding the greater metro area. Denver so far has not been placed under any weather alerts (nws).

Changes in our weather

It's March again, and that generally means interesting weather for Colorado's Front Range. While this winter has been virtually absent of snow (yes, we are still well below average), March might be our best chance at changing this. March is Denver's snowiest month with 11.7 inches on average (NWS). March is truly a transition month, with a record high of 84 and a record low of -11 we can pretty much see anything during this month. A prime example of March's wild weather was in 2003, when tornadic activity turned to snow late on the 17th and left Denver with it's second worst storm in history; 31.8 inches of snow was recorded at the old Stapleton Airport. While the outlook for March 2011 calls for warmer than normal temps, and below average precipitation (a continued thank you to La Nina!), it is not unreasonable to expect at least one decent storm this month. Read on!

After weeks of tranquil weather, changes could be coming. Temperatures tomorrow should again warm into the 60s, but rain and snow will be moving into the area by tomorrow evening. Friday will be quite a bit cooler with temps in the 40s and a chance of rain and snow. By the weekend temperatures will return to the 50s.

Our attention then turns to early next week when potential for another even stronger storm may arrise! I have been watching this system for several days now, and am trying to not get too excited about it. As it stands, it looks like most models will take the brunt of the energy too far north for substantial accumulation in Denver. That said, if the system slows a little, and allows for more digging to take place, we could be in for a classic March storm. Stay tuned!