Weather
Several inches of snow forecast for the high peaks of the Rockies this weekend. Source: maps.weatherbell.com
Fall is right around the corner, and nothing makes that more evident than some high mountain snow over the Rockies. A trough is currently enveloping much of the western United States, and will continue to move west-to-east across the Rockies this weekend. This is already bringing below-normal temperatures and scattered precipitation to Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado.
A trough moving across the Four Corners on Saturday. Source: maps.weatherbell.com
Temperatures will continue to fall on Friday night and Saturday, with below-freezing temperatures expected above 11,00ft or so on Saturday morning. Snow levels will be even a bit lower, with some parts of Colorado that are as low as 9,000ft seeing a chance for snow. For Utah and Wyoming, snow levels should remain above 10,000ft.
The main timeframe to watch for snow is Saturday afternoon, when there is the best combination of lingering moisture, cold temperatures, and instability. In Utah, 1-3″ of snow is expected across the highest peaks of the Unitas. In Wyoming, a dusting to as much as 3″ of snow can be expected across the highest peaks of the Wind Rivers, and possibly Grand Teton as well.
Source: maps.weatherbell.com
Colorado will have slightly cooler temperatures than the other two states and quite a bit more moisture, which will allow snow to be both more widespread and heavier. Snow will be focused on the Sawatch Range, which includes Mount Elbert, and the Front Range. Snow totals could be as high as 3-6″ across the peaks over 13,000 feet, and elevations as low as 11,000 feet could get up to 1″.
Extended Outlook
The jet stream remains very active over the western U.S. throughout the remainder of September. It looks like we should have normal to above-normal precipitation across the Rockies this month, with temperatures largely dependent on the position of the jet stream. We should expect snow levels to gradually drop throughout the month as average temperatures generally decrease by ~10°F between the first and last day of September. With any luck we will see significant snow start to make it down to the resorts over the next two to three weeks.
