Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 21, 2021 15:30:45 GMT -6
This thread is for me to keep record of the weather around this location.
Twin Lakes, CO.
There's two big glacial lakes down in the valley. We're sitting on a small ridge that backs into the very Upper Arkansas Valley. The mountains across the way are between 12-13k feet and basically due south of my location.
In the corner to my SW, is the road to Aspen across Independence Pass (closed for the winter). The farthest back peaks are part of the Divide, which is running roughly NE at this point. Looking to my due west is Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in the Rockies.
My elevation is 9600 feet.
Nearby Leadville is at 10,400 feet.
Main road through here runs along the Arkansas River and the valley it cut over the eons.
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 21, 2021 19:22:09 GMT -6
Twin Lakes, CO.
There's two big glacial lakes down in the valley. We're sitting on a small ridge that backs into the very Upper Arkansas Valley. The mountains across the way are between 12-13k feet and basically due south of my location.
In the corner to my SW, is the road to Aspen across Independence Pass (closed for the winter). The farthest back peaks are part of the Divide, which is running roughly NE at this point. Looking to my due west is Mt. Elbert, the highest peak in the Rockies.
My elevation is 9600 feet. Nearby Leadville is at 10,400 feet. Main road through here runs along the Arkansas River and the valley it cut over the eons.
Post by HarahanTim - Now in Covington! on Jan 21, 2021 20:49:22 GMT -6
I’m vaguely familiar with Leadville, from different running groups I’m in. Leadville Trails, is the ultimate race, for ultra marathon runners! Nope, not me! LOL
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 21, 2021 20:53:55 GMT -6
Thursday Jan 21
Got into the upper 30s today, with moisture increasing. It's currently 23 and we got 65% humidity, so a dew point of 13 F currently. This is pretty moist relative to the past two days.
You can see the first signs of the incoming storm system. Moisture increasing with flow out of the NW. Ended up being able to squeeze out some flurries along the Divide and the really high peaks (13K ft+) to my SW. Winds will end up shifting to out of the SW and a richer moisture profile coming in. This won't be a huge event here, might get like 3-6" over the weekend between the two systems coming across.
At the 500 mb level, have a disturbance up near Washington State and the decaying upper low that was positioned near Baja for most of the week. Eventually all of this will merge, and leave us with a nice longwave trough off the North Cali coast.
Northern end of the energy splits and sends the first disturbance over the Rockies. Probably the better positioned of the two disturbances that will swing through for snow here.
By Monday, the southern disturbance has moved through the four corners and into Oklahoma and Kansas.
These two systems ought to be bountiful for the SW mountains, west facing slopes should do better as well. It's going to be mostly relying on the mountains to provide the lift around here too.
I’m vaguely familiar with Leadville, from different running groups I’m in. Leadville Trails, is the ultimate race, for ultra marathon runners! Nope, not me! LOL
That ain't for me either. The trail is beautiful but brutal. The altitude is no joke.
This is a beautiful part of the Rockies that hasn't been developed a ton yet but also an hour from Vail, Summit, and Aspen (well, in the summer). It's well worth a trip out here.
I spent some time in Salida.... Fly fished the Arkansas in that stretch. Breckenridge was my most frequent skiing spot.
Absolutely beautiful country... Any time of year.
The dry air induced nose bleeds are the only single drawback for me ..
They are lenticular. Only other time I've seen them in life was in Yellowstone and it was a textbook presentation.
Came through Salida on my way in on Monday. You wouldn't believe Salida now, its a place now. That stretch of US 50 from Canon City is spectacular coming through that tight valley.
I'm not a great skier, mostly been to Copper since it's on the other side of the pass to Summit. Probably going to ski at Cooper near Leadville some in a few weeks. One run they have is pretty awesome, turning out of the trees into a little drop and Mt. Massive (2nd highest) is in full view framed with pines.
Gorgeous country, thermalwind - my late husband's(1st husband), family had a ski ranch in Placerville. We lived there before Telluride exploded as a vacation destination. Have a great winter!
Gorgeous country, thermalwind - my late husband's(1st husband), family had a ski ranch in Placerville. We lived there before Telluride exploded as a vacation destination. Have a great winter!
There's a reason Telluride exploded as a vacation destination. Plenty gorgeous out that way.
It's so alien coming from living on the gulf coast all my life to doing an alpine winter. The cold is already a little annoying, despite it being relatively mild. We'll go negative sometime next week. Let's see how well I can deal with that.
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 22, 2021 16:44:04 GMT -6
Friday Jan 22
The winds of winter are blowing in this afternoon. After topping out at 40 thanks to the sun reflecting off the iced over lake, the clouds and cold winds have taken over. Dipping into the mid 30s and watching the Divide feast upon the moist (relative) feed out of the SW.
Can you tell where the tall peaks are?
This would be just above the ground at my location. Getting that warm moisture from the Pacific and pushing it NE. First disturbance dives down and moves through the Great Basin overnight.
My southern disposition wasn't ready for an hour outside with these wind chills in the 20s. That'll be negative by Wednesday morning. Ugh.
This morning, the arrival of the moisture heralded by the poofy clouds coming over the mountains.
Forecast for 1/2" - 1" snow here tonight. We'll see how it plays.
Post by Shibumi-Mandeville I-12/Hwy59 on Jan 22, 2021 17:00:13 GMT -6
Yeah the NWS forecast sort of shows you with flurries and light snow on and off over the next several days.
I find it amazing how the mountains control the moisture so much it depends on which direction it's coming from as to who sees the snow. You get a storm and Breckenridge stays dry and visa versa.
Also love how at elevation it's not a matter of rain or snow in the winter... It's always just snow.... And the fact you get sublimation instead of outright melting for the most part
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 22, 2021 17:11:52 GMT -6
I find it amazing how the mountains control the moisture so much it depends on which direction it's coming from as to who sees the snow.
Wind direction is everything, and it would take a powerful storm providing some dynamic lift to get bigger totals where I sit. Area is surrounded by high mountains but the Arkansas River cut a pretty wide valley from Leadville down to about my location in the very south of Lake County. Fascinating to watch right now as I get a feel for exactly how the peaks will effect my location.
The sublimation is new for me. Snow just disappears, leaving barely a wet spot to indicate where it was. Of course, there's not enough snow on the ground here to prevent some melting on roads and refreeze. Hope the next few days of flurries can lay enough down to make the driving a little less sketchy.
I find it amazing how the mountains control the moisture so much it depends on which direction it's coming from as to who sees the snow.
Wind direction is everything, and it would take a powerful storm providing some dynamic lift to get bigger totals where I sit. Area is surrounded by high mountains but the Arkansas River cut a pretty wide valley from Leadville down to about my location in the very south of Lake County. Fascinating to watch right now as I get a feel for exactly how the peaks will effect my location.
The sublimation is new for me. Snow just disappears, leaving barely a wet spot to indicate where it was. Of course, there's not enough snow on the ground here to prevent some melting on roads and refreeze. Hope the next few days of flurries can lay enough down to make the driving a little less sketchy.
I'll look forward to more photos!
Oh and if you are in to ice climbing one of the hottest spots in the country is right near you.
I'm also sure that they do horse drawn nightime sleigh rides on the lake somewhere.....at least many places I've been to do....