Snowstorm hitting Steamboat Springs

It’s been snowing since Saturday afternoon and the weather sites just picked up on it tonight, they had been predicting the storm would start Monday. Read the second paragraph just below the discussion for what they expect for Monday. It’s predicted to be cold all week so they can make snow on the lower mountain groomers. We haven’t been able to see the mountain since Friday mid-afternoon and there was some base up there to start with so it should have been accumulating all along. I love when they get provocative and say orographic flow in the forecast, that’s a good thing for the Steamboat snow report.

Nothing like the energy in a ski town when it snows all weekend...

The following is a clip from todays afternoon report at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. They are in my opinion the best source for snow forecasts since they care about what is happening on the mountains instead of down in the towns like most forecasts. I prefer to ski on the mountains myself except maybe during the winter carnival when we ski down main street here in Steamboat Springs.

This is Scott at the Colorado Avalanche Information Center at 4pm, Sunday, November 13, 2005.

DISCUSSION
Clouds and showers have been increasing across the Northern mtns today in advance of our next system. Tonight real snows will begin in the N mtns & spread southward. Rabbit Ears/Steamboat ski area will likely do best from this storm, with slightly less amounts as you go south towards I-70. There's nice orographic potential with good jet stream support, it's all adding up to a nice storm for the N mtns, with lesser amounts spreading to the N side of the San Juans. Later Monday afternoon into the early evening hours, look for an increase in snow intensity. Everyone will see strong winds as a 130 kt jet cuts into CO as the storm gets underway. Will also see the first normal temps of winter as the system begins to move out late Monday night, in other words, it will get cold. It's good to be back. The forecast details:

North mtns
Sunday night: 3-6". Winds W/20-30, Gs 60-70. Lows 17-22.
Monday: 6-9", though would not be surprised by some higher amounts. Winds W/20-30 G60+. Highs 25-30.
Monday night: 4-8", decreasing after midnight. Winds WNW/20-30, Gs 50s, & colder, 0-5 degrees.
Tuesday: Drying out with north winds decreasing. Cold