Mountain West Discussion

[Front Ranger]

Next week looks quite cool here.

[Black Hole]

Still completely dead weather down here. Basically alternate between hot and pretty warm with breezy conditions at times. Today will be one of the coolest days in a while with highs in the lower 80s. 

[Front Ranger]

Ended up with 8" overnight here. 

Looks like another quick-hitter on Monday could drop a few more inches.

[Front Ranger]

Picked up another 4" last night. Up to 76" on the season, slightly above average.

[Black Hole]

On 4/20/2021 at 10:45 AM, Front Ranger said:

Picked up another 4" last night. Up to 76" on the season, slightly above average.

When do you usually see your last snow of the year? Probably getting to about that time. 

[Black Hole]

We will get a little cooler air with the big trough moving in, should drop highs into the 70s for a day or two. Could see a shower even but not expecting any real rainfall this go around. Looking like the first 100+ weather of the year comes next weekend. 

[Dan the Weatherman]

On 4/25/2021 at 6:59 AM, Black Hole said:

We will get a little cooler air with the big trough moving in, should drop highs into the 70s for a day or two. Could see a shower even but not expecting any real rainfall this go around. Looking like the first 100+ weather of the year comes next weekend. 

With the ongoing drought in the SW US and last summer's "nonsoon", I feel that you are experiencing what is likely one of the most boring years that Phoenix has ever had in their history. I know that it is a dry climate, but this year has been downright dry!

I am really hoping for a much more active monsoon this summer, not just for AZ, but for the SW in general, including portions of Socal as well.

[Front Ranger]

On 4/25/2021 at 7:58 AM, Black Hole said:

When do you usually see your last snow of the year? Probably getting to about that time. 

Yeah, typically late April. Get measurable snow in May about a third of the time historically, although it's happened more often recently.

Nice soaking rain tonight, picked up close to half an inch.

[Black Hole]

On 4/27/2021 at 1:41 AM, Dan the Weatherman said:

With the ongoing drought in the SW US and last summer's "nonsoon", I feel that you are experiencing what is likely one of the most boring years that Phoenix has ever had in their history. I know that it is a dry climate, but this year has been downright dry!

I am really hoping for a much more active monsoon this summer, not just for AZ, but for the SW in general, including portions of Socal as well.

My home has had 2.24" of rain in the last year! It's gotten so bad that I've had to will myself to not lose my interest in weather entirely. Obviously nothing of interest is coming in the next 2 months or so with it being our climatologically driest time of year. 

We all need some rain! I hope you can similarly have a better monsoon than last year. 

[Jesse]

19 hours ago, Black Hole said:

My home has had 2.24" of rain in the last year! It's gotten so bad that I've had to will myself to not lose my interest in weather entirely. Obviously nothing of interest is coming in the next 2 months or so with it being our climatologically driest time of year. 

We all need some rain! I hope you can similarly have a better monsoon than last year. 

I feel that. This dry spring and the multiple model let downs advertising a wetter and active pattern has almost pushed me to the point of turning my back on tracking things period. At least until we turn a corner (if we do this year).

[Black Hole]

4 hours ago, Jesse said:

I feel that. This dry spring and the multiple model let downs advertising a wetter and active pattern has almost pushed me to the point of turning my back on tracking things period. At least until we turn a corner (if we do this year).

Some of my lack of interest is probably external, but it doesn't help to have drought in a place that is already painfully dry. I remember feeling something similar in the winter of 2004/2005 I think. Many days of mets promising snow that would vanish at the last minute...it just gets to you eventually. 

[Black Hole]

We've threatened plenty of times, but we managed to hit 100 F yesterday (5/5). Probably another one today, but then back into the 90s...which is actually just fine for this time of year. Last year we had 13 days of 100 or better by May 11. 

[Black Hole]

I have little faith in seasonal models, but the ECMWF/CMC models remain steady with average to above average rainfall for the summer. The CFS on the other hand is bone dry. 

[Front Ranger]

GFS says I get a few inches of snow Monday. Would be the 7th time in 9 years to get measurable snow in May, which is pretty nuts.

[Front Ranger]

Doubling down for Monday storm...spitting out 9" for Denver now. 

[Front Ranger]

Had a high of 44 with light showers all day. Down to 34 now with a little snow. 

If we get any kind of precip intensity, could wake up to a few inches tomorrow.

[Front Ranger]

Picked up 2.5" last night. Spring (3/1-now) total is up to 38.5", which is the second most I've seen, after the nearly 50" seen in spring 2013.

[Dan the Weatherman]

On 5/11/2021 at 12:53 PM, Front Ranger said:

Picked up 2.5" last night. Spring (3/1-now) total is up to 38.5", which is the second most I've seen, after the nearly 50" seen in spring 2013.

I hope that has helped with the snowpack in the Rockies at least a little bit.

[Front Ranger]

On 5/12/2021 at 5:07 PM, Dan the Weatherman said:

I hope that has helped with the snowpack in the Rockies at least a little bit.

It's definitely helped some. Though we're now past the point of building anything up there.

Lots more spring precip on the way around here.

[Front Ranger]

Been a wonderfully wet late winter and spring. Fairly cloudy this month, too, which is causing all the sun-worshippers here to lose their minds.

I love it...everything is more lush and green than it's been in at least 5-6 years, and should stay that way for awhile. Too bad the western slope hasn't been able to do nearly as well.

 

[Black Hole]

We've had some nice days here lately. The high was around 80 yesterday! We will be pushing 100 again before long but the break was nice. 

[Front Ranger]

We get a lot of tornadoes in eastern CO. But few damaging ones.

Severe thunderstorms moved across northeast Colorado this past weekend (May 22 and 23), producing large hail, damaging winds, and numerous tornadoes.

A total of 16 tornadoes occurred over the weekend, with nine on Saturday and another seven on Sunday.  Of the seven on Sunday, six were associated with the supercell thunderstorm that raced north/northeast from southwest Washington County through Logan County.  On Saturday, five tornadoes developed along and near a stationary front, while four others occurred in southwest Lincoln County as a severe storm tracked almost straight north toward Limon.  Fortunately, all of the tornadoes lifted before reaching the town.  

Almost all of these tornadoes will be ranked EF-0 or EF-UNK (unknown) since they fortunately touched down in open fields and produced no damage.  However, two of the tornadoes will be rated EF-1 as they knocked down a total of 20 power poles. An EF-1 rating would suggest winds of 86-110 mph.  The locations of the EF-1 tornadoes was along Highway 61 about 4 miles southeast of Sterling, while the other occurred near Proctor, CO.  There was also a report of 3" diameter hail about 5 miles north/northwest of Proctor from the storm late Sunday afternoon.  

[Black Hole]

Low 100s for the next week here. Could be a few mountain thunderstorms but the valleys will be staying dry. Much better than last year with only 9 100 degree days so far and no days above 105 even if I remember right. 

[AquariusRadar]

West Texas and New Mexico getting showers. Hey really- even some spotty showers in Arizona-again like yesterday. Is a good summer monsoon coming to the Valley of the Sun?

[Black Hole]

34 minutes ago, AquariusRadar said:

West Texas and New Mexico getting showers. Hey really- even some spotty showers in Arizona-again like yesterday. Is a good summer monsoon coming to the Valley of the Sun?

We got a few high terrain storms blowing up. Probably won't make it all the way into Phoenix where I am, but at least I can see clouds today! Looks like this continues the next few days, but mostly staying in the mountains.

I am hopeful for a better monsoon. Last year was terrible. 

[Dan the Weatherman]

On 5/31/2021 at 2:23 PM, Black Hole said:

We got a few high terrain storms blowing up. Probably won't make it all the way into Phoenix where I am, but at least I can see clouds today! Looks like this continues the next few days, but mostly staying in the mountains.

I am hopeful for a better monsoon. Last year was terrible. 

This last year has been terrible on two fronts for the southwestern U.S. First the monsoon was a "nonsoon" no-show, and then the winter was bone dry on top of that. I really hope the overall upper level pattern gets shaken up this summer, leading to a more active monsoon, and hopefully followed by a much stormier winter in CA and the SW!

[Black Hole]

Definitely looking like a high impact heatwave coming for the desert southwest coming up. Looks like a week of 110+, but many of those days could be 114-116. I think one or two days will be 116-118. 

Also looks like an anomalous moisture surge about 10 days out, so maybe some early monsoon storms. 

[Front Ranger]

Well, after a cool and wet spring, we've seen a flip to hot and dry in the past week. We didn't have a 90+ day through beginning of June, but now four of the past days have hit 90 and temps are expected to soar close to 100 next week.

Hopefully the pattern will shift again later this month.

[Front Ranger]

101 at DEN today. Third earliest 100+, and earliest 101 on record.

[Front Ranger]

On 6/15/2021 at 10:32 PM, Front Ranger said:

101 at DEN today. Third earliest 100+, and earliest 101 on record.

Two more 100s added at DEN (101 on Tuesday was the peak), but thankfully cooling back down to low 90s today, and then 80s and even 70s by Monday.

[Black Hole]

Phoenix ended up with a 6 day stretch of 115+ degrees beating the old all-time streak of 4 days, which was actually tied twice last year. Apparently Phoenix's record for annual number of days 115 or better was only 7 until last years 14. So we are already in 3rd place for days 115 or warmer and its only mid-late June. There was at least 4 days of 90+ lows too. The 118F high and 92F low were the earliest such readings on record. 

[Black Hole]

During the heat spell I did get one night with a trace of rain, gusty winds, and a lot of lightning. That was accompanied by a heat burst and the temperature rose to 110F at around 9 pm at night. 

[Black Hole]

Now it looks like an unusual moisture surge is coming in the next couple of days. Might get some rain and thunder here the next couple of days! Pretty unusual for this time of year. Longer range outlook has more rain chances towards the end of the month. 

[Front Ranger]

High of just 72 at DEN yesterday (70 IMBY). Back into the 90s today and tomorrow, and then cooling back into the upper 70s Friday into the weekend.

[Front Ranger]

Been a very warm June to this point, but looks like a cool last 5-6 days of the month will knock it out of DEN's top 10.

[Dan the Weatherman]

On 6/21/2021 at 8:41 PM, Black Hole said:

Now it looks like an unusual moisture surge is coming in the next couple of days. Might get some rain and thunder here the next couple of days! Pretty unusual for this time of year. Longer range outlook has more rain chances towards the end of the month. 

The monsoon seems to be starting a bit earlier than usual this year. Hopefully this is a sign of a much more active monsoon season across the SW states this summer! The area really needs moisture!

[Front Ranger]

High of just 69 yesterday. Went to an outdoor wedding that started at 5, and it was 58 degrees with light rain at that time. Pretty surreal for this time of year.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

On 6/27/2021 at 12:49 PM, Front Ranger said:

High of just 69 yesterday. Went to an outdoor wedding that started at 5, and it was 58 degrees with light rain at that time. Pretty surreal for this time of year.

Jelly

[Farmboy]

Looks like continued hot for my area (central Idaho @ 4,800 ft.) and the entire west really...  90° today... Looks like more mid and upper 90's coming...

 

[Front Ranger]

Other than one very hot week in June, it's been a fairly pleasant summer here so far. Frequent afternoon storms and only brief bouts of heat.

I've had 12 90+ days so far, with one that hit 100. That's a bit ahead of average for this area, but again more than half came in one week. Last year at this point I had 18 90+ days.

2019, however, only had 7 90+ days at this point.