Wet weather this weekend followed by almost summer-like weather for midweek

Friday, April 24, 2015

A wave currently traveling through northern New Mexico has brought moister air into our region, increasing the threat of afternoon storms today. Another far more significant storm is currently located along the West Coast around the US - Canadian border and will be be Colorado’s major weather-maker for the weekend and early next week.

This storm is forecast to elongate and split as it approaches the Great Basin on Saturday, eventually becoming a closed low later in the weekend and traveling slowly along the Arizona - Utah and New Mexico - Colorado borders. Temperatures will remain mild ahead of the storm even as cool air begins to filter into the region during the day Saturday. Showers should increase and eventually turn more persistent by later in the day and lasting overnight. Snow levels will initially be quite high, around 10,000 feet, before dropping overnight to around 8000 feet.

This storm does have some similarities with last week’s meteorologically impressive storm, though it is far weaker and faster moving. But unfavorable mountain-top easterly flow is again predicted again by later Sunday for our northern Colorado region, and that may end or limit precipitation for a while around then.

A trailing wave crosses through the area late Monday into Tuesday keeping unsettled conditions in place and increasing the chance of precipitation again, but the wind barely turns northwesterly and likely limits precipitation amounts. The cool air associated with this wave will keep temperatures seasonably cool through Tuesday, but sharp warming will lead to almost summer-like weather by Wednesday, with even the typical afternoon thunderstorms forecast for Thursday and Friday.

The storm I initially thought would impact us around May Day is now forecast to weaken and stay mostly to our north, yielding a pleasant weekend, but another warm Pacific storm approaches the West Coast around then and may bring more beneficial moisture to our region around the following midweek.