Mountain West Discussion

[Scott]

Only .33" at DEN since May 30. The whole state has been very dry. No meaningful rainfall in this area from the brief showers today. Hoping for better results the next couple days.

 

30dPNormHPRCC-CO.png

 

I assume those two wetter areas were probably from one storm?

[Front Ranger]

I assume those two wetter areas were probably from one storm?

 

I'd imagine so. All it takes is one really good one!

 

Much cooler here today, high of only 73 with clouds all day. Only sprinkles at the house so far, but some promising showers moving off the mountains. I'd love to not have to water my lawn tonight.

[Front Ranger]

Another day, another abject failure to produce any meaningful rainfall in this area. Just .03" yesterday at my house and nothing today, as storms stayed down in the Colorado Springs area. At least it wasn't hot, with a high of 86 and temps already into the mid 70s.

[Black Hole]

The low has been 70F or greater for 11F days in a row at KSLC. Record is 13 days in a row and we look to beat that easily in the coming days.

Its been bone dry here to Front Ranger. In the last month I've had .01" at my house, and .47 in the last 2 months. Its kind of strange we are both so dry. 

[Jesse]

Low of 39 in Whitefish, MT this morning.

[Kayla]

Notable cooler air has settled in here this morning as well while also picking up 0.10" of rain within the last 24 hours. Smells and feels great out there!

[Black Hole]

Well on our way to the hottest July on record. Every high and low has been above normal, and running about +8F above normal so far. Low of 77F last night, and 14F in a row above 70F. 

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/climate/monthdisp.php?stn=KSLC&year=2017&mon=7&wfo=slc&p=temperature

Also, no rain. 

[Front Ranger]

Well on our way to the hottest July on record. Every high and low has been above normal, and running about +8F above normal so far. Low of 77F last night, and 14F in a row above 70F. 

 

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/climate/monthdisp.php?stn=KSLC&year=2017&mon=7&wfo=slc&p=temperature

 

Also, no rain. 

 

SLC is running 2.5 degrees warmer than the warmest July on record...and yet Provo is running cooler than their warmest July on record. Shocking.

[Front Ranger]

It's been a warm month so far here (DEN is running about two degrees above normal), but nothing like west of the divide, fortunately. This past week was a nice reprieve from the heat, which looks to return for a few days this week, but then it appears we will cool down below normal again for the weekend.

[Scott]

SLC is running 2.5 degrees warmer than the warmest July on record...and yet Provo is running cooler than their warmest July on record. Shocking.

 

It appears that Provo is 0.2 degrees from breaking the record for the warmest July, at least at the current station.

 

I see what you mean that SLC seems to be running higher than it should be.

[Front Ranger]

It appears that Provo is 0.2 degrees from breaking the record for the warmest July, at least at the current station.

 

I see what you mean that SLC seems to be running higher than it should be.

 

Yeah, it would be one thing if it were just one month, but SLC consistently runs one of the warmest departures in the region, at least during the warm season. Seems to be more a result of the lows than the highs.

[Scott]

At 62, this morning tied for our warmest July low on record.   A 62 low was also recorded on July 17 2011 and July 28 2010.  In August, it has been as warm as 62 twice.   On August 2 2007, the low was 63, which is the warmest low ever recorded at the airport.  On August 1 2010, it was 62.

 

Nights above 60 are very rare here.

[Black Hole]

We had a thunderstorm last night! Only .08" in the bucket but I will take it. 

[Black Hole]

Today should be a good thunderstorm day here, hopefully it works out. 

KSLC recorded 77F for the low last night, 67F at my place. 

[Front Ranger]

Some showers around yesterday but they missed my area. Looking like a decent chance of storms the next three days. Much cooler temps expected over the weekend, with highs only reaching the low 80s. Can't wait!

[Scott]

0.52 inches of rain today (which resulted in a very quick 30 degree cool down).   That's more rain than we have had from all of May 28 through July 20 combined.   It has been really dry lately.  

[Front Ranger]

Managed .08" from a couple showers this evening. 

[Scott]

I spent the weekend in the Medicine Bow Mountains with my daughter, so we could escape the heat!   There were still some pretty big snowbanks and some of the lakes still have ice on them.

 

http://images.summitpost.org/original/1003732.JPG

[Front Ranger]

Managed .08" from a couple showers this evening. 

 

And this was it for the last 3 days. Pretty disappointing. Cool front on Wednesday looks like the next decent chance for some precip.

[Black Hole]

I am expecting some thunderstorms at times the next 3 days. Hopefully it works out, but this looks as good a bet as any time this summer. 

[Kayla]

Pretty benign weather here over the last 7-10 days. Still running only about 2 degrees off the all-time hot July of 2007 record as the heat has continued. No records have fallen but we've consistently been right near them.

 

Front moved through here yesterday evening bringing a few showers (picked up 0.05") and much cooler temps. Currently only 62º here with cloudy conditions as we approach the noon hour. Should see some more storms later today thru Friday bringing some scattered downpours which would be well welcomed at this point.

[Jesse]

Pretty benign weather here over the last 7-10 days. Still running only about 2 degrees off the all-time hot July of 2007 record as the heat has continued. No records have fallen but we've consistently been right near them.

 

Front moved through here yesterday evening bringing a few showers (picked up 0.05") and much cooler temps. Currently only 62º here with cloudy conditions as we approach the noon hour. Should see some more storms later today thru Friday bringing some scattered downpours which would be well welcomed at this point.

Are you running two degrees below it or two degrees above? The latter would be pretty impressive.

[Kayla]

Are you running two degrees below it or two degrees above? The latter would be pretty impressive.

 

Around two degrees below it. 

 

To be exact – July to date:

 

2017 daily high temp - 89.9º

2007 daily high temp - 92.7º

 

2017 average temp 72.5º

2007 average temp 74.8º

 

We're likely to see these numbers drop quite a bit by the end of the month but nonetheless it's been a very hot month.

[Jesse]

Around two degrees below it.

 

To be exact – July to date:

 

2017 daily high temp - 89.9º

2007 daily high temp - 92.7º

 

2017 average temp 72.5º

2007 average temp 74.8º

 

We're likely to see these numbers drop quite a bit by the end of the month but nonetheless it's been a very hot month.

It's been pretty relentless over there. I'd love to see the pattern flip to one of northern Rockies troughing eventually.

[Front Ranger]

The monsoon is really cranking now, with flash flood watches and advisories up across much of the Southwest. Hopefully we get some action here the next few days.

[Kayla]

It's been pretty relentless over there. I'd love to see the pattern flip to one of northern Rockies troughing eventually.

 

I would love that as well. You may not like the result upstream though! My call for retrogression by the end of the month was a bust. Maybe some sign of it by early August now.

[Jesse]

I would love that as well. You may not like the result upstream though! My call for retrogression by the end of the month was a bust. Maybe some sign of it by early August now.

 

I think a progression of the pattern is more likely. That would bring cooler weather to the whole NW quadrant of the lower 48.

[Kayla]

I think a progression of the pattern is more likely. That would bring cooler weather to the whole NW quadrant of the lower 48.

 

GOA ridge please!

[Front Ranger]

GOA ridge please!

 

I think that becomes much more likely the second half of the month.

[Black Hole]

.07" of precip overnight and some lightning. May see storms today or tomorrow before we dry out again. 

[Jesse]

.07" of precip overnight and some lightning. May see storms today or tomorrow before we dry out again.

You guys still running five degrees ahead of the next record warmest month?

[luminen]

The forecast for SLC is hot. Looks like an average low of 72 to 73.

[Front Ranger]

Loving the upcoming forecast. Looks like below normal weather with a chance of showers/storms each day for the foreseeable future. Today may not reach 80, and no highs the next 7 days are forecast above 87.

[Black Hole]

You guys still running five degrees ahead of the next record warmest month?

I will have to look into it, but we finally are a bit below average today.

 

I got .30" from thunderstorms last night, but totals were as high as 2.38" in parts of SLC from training storms! Not bad at all. 

[Front Ranger]

Looks like SLC is running about 2 degrees warmer than previous record July. Provo is running almost identical to warmest July.

[Jesse]

Looks like SLC is running about 2 degrees warmer than previous record July. Provo is running almost identical to warmest July.

#uhi

 

#coolingclimate

 

#-pdophase

[Front Ranger]

Finally had a good soaking rain last night. Picked up .22 over a couple hours. Still running well below normal for the summer, but the upcoming pattern continues to look more promising.

 

Some places to the south of here got absolutely hammered last night...reports of over 3" in the foothills between Denver and Colorado Springs, and the Colorado Springs airport picked up 1.75" from the storm, including 1.15" in an hour: http://w1.weather.gov/data/obhistory/KCOS.html

[Black Hole]

More crazy thunderstorms last night. I didn't get much precip, but the lightning was almost continuous for a while. Probably drying out for a while now. 

[Front Ranger]

DEN finished with a +2.2 anomaly for July, almost identical to June. It's worth nothing, however, that temps turned much cooler the second half of the month, and five of the last 6 days were below normal with highs in the 80s. Precipitation was well below normal, with .47" at DEN and .80" at the old Stapleton location. Average is about 2".

 

The pattern going forward looks to continue near average to below normal, and increasingly looks below normal past day 5. Hopefully wetter as well.

[Scott]

As I mentioned earlier, I am working on Vail Pass all summer.    Yesterday evening was the first snow of the season in the hills (or at least the first when I was there).   It didn't stick on the pass, but it did in the surrounding hills.   Here is Peak 8 as viewed from my condo at Copper Mountain:

 

http://images.summitpost.org/original/1004411.JPG