MOUNTAIN WEATHER FORECAST

Time and Day: 1130 Thursday

The Snapshot:  Rain today changing to snow tonight.  Windy tomorrow with snow tapering off by the afternoon.   A clearing trend begins tomorrow and last through Saturday. 

The Science:  An approaching cold front will lower temperatures and change the rain to snow late tonight. There will be a short lived convergence zone development during the early morning hours which could produce some measurable snow. A weak high pressure ridge passing over the mountains tomorrow afternoon will produce dry and partly cloudy weather leading into the weekend.

4-7day Long Range:  Another front will move through late Saturday night with more mixed rain and snow likely.  Sunday will be partly sunny with isolated snow showers.   

Precipitation: 16hr Water by 4am tomorrow  = .75  Snow = 4-8 24hr water by noon tomorrow = .75   Snow = 4-8 Trend and Timing: The rain will change to snow around midnight tonight.  Moderate snowfall will be possible during the early morning hours as a short lived convergence flow develops.  Snow will diminish to showers tomorrow morning and taper off by the afternoon.

Base Temp and Freezing levels:  Low: 24   High: 38 Freezing level: 5500’  3500’ Trends and Timing Freezing levels will rapidly drop in the wake of the passing cold front sometime after midnight.  Good daytime warming and sun breaks will push surface temperatures above freezing tomorrow afternoon.

Winds (mph) Base: 5-15 W Ridge Top: 10-20 W   Trend and Timing: Winds will also ramp up with the passing of the front late tonight.  Gusty westerly winds will begin to diminish in the afternoon.