Post by thermalwind - Touro on Feb 3, 2021 15:27:13 GMT -6
It's February, it's been lightly snowing all afternoon and no accumulations unless it was hitting snow on the ground. It is 36 at 9600 feet.
About to get a lesson in the powers of dynamic lift. The best divergence aloft is just to the west across the divide, cold air starting to advect in as is the base of the trough hanging out over the Great Basin. Looking for snowfall rates to really pick up into the nighttime.
As if on command, all the air in the valley starts lifting. Like steam coming off a pot. The large scale vertical motion is arriving from across the divide.
It's February, it's been lightly snowing all afternoon and no accumulations unless it was hitting snow on the ground. It is 36 at 9600 feet.
About to get a lesson in the powers of dynamic lift. The best divergence aloft is just to the west across the divide, cold air starting to advect in as is the base of the trough hanging out over the Great Basin. Looking for snowfall rates to really pick up into the nighttime.
As if on command, all the air in the valley starts lifting. Like steam coming off a pot. The large scale vertical motion is arriving from across the divide.
It's February, it's been lightly snowing all afternoon and no accumulations unless it was hitting snow on the ground. It is 36 at 9600 feet.
About to get a lesson in the powers of dynamic lift. The best divergence aloft is just to the west across the divide, cold air starting to advect in as is the base of the trough hanging out over the Great Basin. Looking for snowfall rates to really pick up into the nighttime.
As if on command, all the air in the valley starts lifting. Like steam coming off a pot. The large scale vertical motion is arriving from across the divide.
That would make for a great time lapse....
God I know it. Not really set up for such yet, but getting some pictures at least. Working on a weather station too.
Tonight might be interesting. We're going to be right on the left exit of a jet max with the peak diff cyclonic vort advection (more vort with height, more vertical motion) and cold front rolling in to boot. Somewhere near me is going to hit the jackpot of double digit snow totals. HRRR, NAM, and Euro highlighting the I70 mountains in Summit and Eagle and down into Lake and Pitkin (Aspen). Double figures are hard to get in my spot, but 5-6" is possible tonight if it lines up like I think it is going to.
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Feb 3, 2021 16:39:44 GMT -6
A Go-Pro is on my list of things to get.
Snow has really picked up in the last ten minutes and is starting to stick to everything. Windy. Temp droppings. Winter wonderland again. It's 31 degrees and a dew of 26 at Leadville. So about as humid as it's been since I've gotten here.
Will any of that arctic air spill over into Breck week after next? 20's and teens are nice, but single digits and sub zero doesn't work well for kids. Worrying about frostbite isn't fun.
Will any of that arctic air spill over into Breck week after next? 20's and teens are nice, but single digits and sub zero doesn't work well for kids. Worrying about frostbite isn't fun.
Arctic outbreaks usually feature shallow cold since the air is so dense..... Often the mountains contain the really cold to the plains and see the Rockies as a barrier.. depends on where the cold enters the US I think....it's often you will see below zero temps in Denver but warmer in the mountains.....
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Feb 3, 2021 17:12:43 GMT -6
I think we end up west of it, though the 12z GFS would put us in a freezer. As long as the sun is out, even the single digit days aren't too bad. I'll keep an eye on it and give you some thoughts on Breck over the next couple of weeks.
That's what I'm hoping for. Wouldn't it be funny if it were colder in Louisiana than the ski resorts?
I always find it a bit funny when you see national media post how it's colder in New Orleans than Anchorage or Montana during extreme cold outbreaks like it's a freak thing...... when the mechanism to get the cold all the way down to the gulf coast is exactly the same that produces the ridging and warmer weather in alaska or as the cold moves east montana sees the warm-up first. It's now surprise or all that unusual... It would be expected.
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Feb 3, 2021 19:03:26 GMT -6
And with sunset comes the onset of the big snow this evening. Got about an 1" during the day. It's 28 and absolutely dumping snow at 6 pm. Getting in the sweet spot near the jet and getting the most of the the trough.
Post by thermalwind - Touro on Feb 4, 2021 19:13:14 GMT -6
Photos coming later, but the story of today was COLD. Went up to Leadville to hit the grocery store, was 15 degrees. They got 9" up that way last night.
Sun has gone down and the temperature is free falling. Down to 13 already at 6:15 pm. Clouds forming up ahead of next system tomorrow will probably keep us above 0 but just barely. NWS has 2 for my location, but we tend to end up a little cooler. 0 seems like a good number.
![](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/storm_graphics/AT02/refresh/AL022022_5day_cone_no_line_and_wind+png/204710_5day_cone_no_line_and_wind.png")
