Your pics are beautiful!!! I've only been to Colorado twice. Most recently, several years ago to visit a friend. Her guy at the time took us up to Loveland Pass. That was the coldest that I've ever been in my life! Seeing all the Bighorn Sheep on the way up was amazing. When we were close to the top we picked up a couple of hitchhiking snowboarders, gave them lift back up in the back of his truck, then watched them board back down. All in all, an awesome experience for a New Orleanian! I'll keep checking your thread!
Loveland Pass is to my NE and also on the Divide. It's quite a view up there too.
It can get cold on those passes, even in Summer.
I'm glad to have another checking in on the thread. Hope the thread might inspire you for a third trip too. It's a beautiful place and soon I'll get exploring the area a little bit more. It's just too icy right now.
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 24, 2021 11:59:09 GMT -6
Round 2 begins with (extremely) light snowfall at 11 am. Mountains in the snow already and it's falling to about the lake surface. Should slowly progress SW to NE.
No accumulation as of yet. It is pretty calm wind wise. Going to get a little plastic bottle out here to collect and then melt some snow to see the ratio out here
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 24, 2021 18:27:51 GMT -6
Been snowing for hours now. Pushing over an inch now. Overperforming my location a little bit. Should start to taper into nightfall. Will edit in some pictures later.
Expecting more snow potentially tomorrow and probably the best snow chances of the period coming Tuesday.
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 26, 2021 13:21:57 GMT -6
The difference is amazing, despite intellectually knowing it would be. Still, it catches me by surprise.
Hell, with the frozen lakes and snow covered peaks radiation is huge part of our temperature equation. It runs a good 5-10 warmer than forecast if the sun pops out for a long time. We're on the south face of a little ridge, so we just get blasted with sunshine in the afternoon.
To give you an idea of the cold right now as the base of the lingering Pacific trough bounces eastward:
It's supposed to hit -2 tonight, with a 10 mph wind. Honestly looking forward to the end of the week warmup.
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 26, 2021 14:54:26 GMT -6
Watching convective snow showers form down in the valley to my SW and moving this way.
Whole process reminded me of an afternoon thunderstorm in summer back in Louisiana. Sun came out, warmed us to 24-25 degrees. Little convective action gets going over the high peaks, having cold air blowing in over the top, and now a cold SW wind but rising air in the valley and approaching snow.
Convection for afternoon storms, with a little assist from some 13,000 foot peaks.
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 26, 2021 19:32:54 GMT -6
Sneak Peak of the next two systems:
Meh. Energy splitting mountains. Might get 1/2". This would be Friday Night/Saturday morning. Ridging to follow this cold blast tonight should have us above freezing for the next three days at least.
What has my eye is middle of next week.
Deep trough dropping toward the four corners looks pretty good for me. GFS and Euro both have 4-6" for my area, using a 10:1 ratio which it is going to be higher than that on the ratio.
Moisture, cold, and a nice position for some dynamic lift. Should end up being a pretty good storm for the eastern US for next weekend one it drops off the Rockies.
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 27, 2021 17:38:10 GMT -6
Had quite the temperature swing today. From -10 to 41. Once the clouds cleared out here last night, the temperature crashed. It was 8 at 12:15 when i finally got the baby to sleep. My wife read -10 when she got up at 7 am.
Enjoying the warm up after a cold last couple of days. Get two more nice afternoons before the next system. Expecting light accumulations at this point. Then another warming period before a potentially productive storm middle of next week. I'll edit in thoughts on the model runs later tonight.
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 29, 2021 15:55:22 GMT -6
You really have to try for a bad photo. Can't wait to explore more too. I need more snow or the sun angle to rise more to be comfortable on some of the roads around here.
The sun exposure is a funny thing here. I've never seen it so bright and have it feel so hot as in winter. Directly out the door is practically due south. Most if the photos are facing SW and W. Anyway that lake being ice plus facing the southern situated sun makes for some big temperature busts and we needing to open windows.
The other side is, yes, the sun goes "down" earlier than expected sunset would suggest. East of here is sinking down into a river valley, so it's not really a big thing in the morning. The other thing about the sunset though is how cold it gets so fast.
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Jan 30, 2021 0:17:51 GMT -6
Warm early afternoon yielded to clouds by 3 pm. Hit 41 as a high. Temp now in the low twenties with snow falling over the divide. Best QG lift possibilities over the 4 corners, moisture arriving. Ought to squeeze out 1/2-3/4" here overnight as the SW flow remains in control.
Winds turn out of the NW tomorrow and brings the cold with it. Looking for some level of convection driving the snowfall during the day. I'd think 1.5" is a fair bet tomorrow yielding 2" overall in this location.
Midweek through next weekend keeps looking better in terms of snow numbers.