Thursday Forecast:
Increasing clouds through the afternoon as the next system approaches. Highs warming into the 40s at the base and 30s up top. Ridgetop winds turning southwest with gusts of 30-40+ mph through the morning and increasing to 70-80+ mph by evening.
Thursday Night – Saturday System:
A weak system moves in Thursday night. We could see a few scattered showers move through by late Thursday through Thursday evening, but a better chance for showers after midnight into Friday. Snow levels starting out below the base Thursday night and rising as high as 7500 ft. Friday. So we could see some rain on the lower mountain to the base Friday. Ridgetop winds gusting 70-80+ mph from the southwest Friday, so we may see a closure of some upper mountain lifts.
Then a 2nd colder wave moves through Friday night into Saturday morning with snow levels dropping below the base. The snow showers should end by late morning Saturday with clearing through the afternoon. Colder with highs in the 20s up top and 30s at the base. Ridgetop winds dropping with gusts of 20-30+ mph.
Only expecting a coating to an inch of snow up top through Friday afternoon. The colder part of the storm Friday night into Saturday morning could drop 1-3 inches at the base and 2-4 inches of new snow on the upper mountain.
Sunday – Tuesday:
For Sunday, we will have mostly sunny skies and light winds, with highs warming into the 40s for the lower elevations. It should be a beautiful day.
The tranquil weather pattern continues for Mon-Tue with mostly sunny skies expected. Highs warming into the 50s at the base and 40s up top.
Long-Range:
The pattern may shift by the middle of next week into the first few days of March as a cold trough digs into the West. We should see some cooler air later in the week with a weak system or two possibly by the end of next week into the last weekend of the month.
BA
