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!

Cooler weather, snow possible

Cooler weather worked its way into the metro area overnight, and is expected to linger for a few days. While neither the temperatures, nor the precipitation in the short term forecast will be record breaking, it does bring an end to our extended warm and dry period. Temperatures are expected to stay in the 30s and 40s through Sunday, with chances for snow tonight through Saturday night. At this time it looks like our best shot will be Friday night, but little to no accumulation is expected at this time. During the day Friday we could see some freezing drizzle, but again, nothing significant expected. By early next week we start to warm things up again, and should head into Denver's snowiest (fingers crossed) month mild and dry.

Cooler for the weekend

After a week of spring-like temperatures, things will start to cool just a bit going into the weekend. The next several days will remain nice, but we should top out in the 50s rather than the mid to upper 60s. Saturday night a secondary cold front will come racing through the region and drop our temperatures even further with highs only expected in the 30s and 40s for northeast Colorado. Will introduce a slight chance of snow (20%) during the Saturday night/Sunday time frame. At this point it looks like most of the accumulating snow will be restricted to the mountains through the period.

What a difference a week makes

Last week at this time we were preparing for more cold and snow on the tail of a record-setting arctic blast the week before. This week the record warmth of last fall will seem more familiar as temperatures will soar into the 60s with lows staying well above freezing some nights. The main concern this week will be the wind, especially if you live in and the foothills west of town. While Chinook winds are largely responsible for our midwinter warm spells, they can also be incredibly powerful and even dangerous at times. Some of the highest wind gusts recorded along the front range come from these events.

For those of you not quite ready to say goodbye to winter, there is some good news. Denver's snowiest month is quickly approaching... March! The recent cold snap has reminded us what winter is supposed to be like around here, but we remain well below average in terms of snowfall for the season. In fact, with a mere 18 inches of snow so far this season (16.6 inches below average) the Weather Channel gave Denver's winter a D- on their "Winter Snow-card." One would think with 43% of our snow left to fall (on average) we would have a decent chance at gaining on these numbers. Unfortunately, the National Weather Service predicts La Nina to remain strong through the Spring, which could give us weather reminding us more of last fall than last week.

Snow and cold will soon be long gone

The mercury has climbed into the double digits this morning, and will only go up from there. The snow cover will hold temps below 40 until Friday, but come this weekend we will really start to see a warm up! By Sunday we could be approaching 60 degrees, and the cold spell of the last week and a half will turn to a muddy memory. A weak cold front may graze the area Sunday night, but highs are expected to stay in the 50s into next week.

Snow diminishes, cold lingers

The latest arctic cold front to effect the region came in with a fury last night. The heavy snow band some expected to stall over Denver ended up drifting south and east late last night, cutting off accumulating snowfall in the Denver area. Still, an impressive storm if only for a few hours. Incredible winds, heavy snow, and bitter cold. Here is a video from the patio of Lost Lake last night, showing horizontal snow and whiteout conditions.

Though light snow is possible through the remainder of the day, our main focus will turn toward the frigid temperatures that are now in place. Currently it is 3 degrees in Denver, and it is likely we won't climb much higher than that before dropping well below zero tonight. Wednesday will remain cool with highs in the 20s, before a real warm-up starts to end the week. By Saturday highs could be in the mid 50s!