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Next Storm/Next Snow Forecast Discussion from the Cherrywood Observatory – March 25, 2019

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

Forecast Discussion:

It really seems that Spring arrived with the calendar date/astronomical start of Spring. Today, there is cooler air out on the Plains (and some fog maybe pushing west of I-25 in the morning - Figure 1). Over the next 48 hours the mountains (and maybe Boulder) gets a dusting of snow - Figure 2. Figure 3 is the water content (rain and snow) - there are just light showers around over this time. The rain chances fade out after about 6 am today.

The longer range forecast:

Look at the 70's F Tuesday and Wednesday as a big ridge slides past us. Warm and dry (Figure 4). Another trough approaches from the west later in the week (Figure 5). Temperatures drop to normal then below normal on Saturday. A healthy chance of rain begins Thursday am and continues through early Saturday morning. Models are divided on how much cold air comes in, but present consensus is that there will be some snow at the end of the storm.

Between now and Sunday, the GFS dumps 1.5 inches of rain on us (Figure 6). It also gives us about 5 inches of snow at the later, colder, part of the storm (it is more bullish than the weatherunderground model) -Figure 7. We have something to watch this week!

Figure 1: The forecast surface map for Monday PM from NCEP.
Figure 2 : the forecast accumulated snow map from the GFS and weather5280.com for Colorado, through Tuesday noon.
Figure 3 : the forecast accumulated precipitation map from the GFS and weather5280.com for Colorado, through Tuesday noon.
Figure 4: the graphical forecast for the next 10 days for Longmont, CO from weatherunderground.com
Figure 5: The 500mb forecast upper air analysis for Thursday AM. Pink dot is Longmont. Red lines are troughs, blue lines are ridges.
Figure 6 : the forecast accumulated precipitation map from the GFS and weather5280.com for Colorado, through Sunday AM.
Figure 7 : the forecast accumulated snow map from the GFS and weather5280.com for Colorado, through Sunday AM.

Current Weather

Sunny

Sunny

63°F

UV Index
1 Low
Pressure
29.95 Falling
Visibility
8 miles
Dewpoint
37 °F
Humidity
38%
Wind
NNW 3.3 mph
Gust
6.5 mph
Wind Chill
63 °F

Hourly Forecast

Today
8 PM
60°F
Mostly clear
Today
9 PM
57°F
Mostly clear
Today
10 PM
54°F
Mostly clear
Today
11 PM
51°F
Mostly clear
Tomorrow
12 AM
49°F
Mostly clear
Tomorrow
1 AM
48°F
Mostly clear
Tomorrow
2 AM
46°F
Mostly clear
Tomorrow
3 AM
45°F
Mostly clear
Tomorrow
4 AM
43°F
Mostly clear
Tomorrow
5 AM
42°F
Mostly clear
Tomorrow
6 AM
39°F
Mostly sunny
Tomorrow
7 AM
41°F
Mostly sunny

7 Day Forecast

Intermittent clouds

Saturday

64 °F

Cooler with clouds yielding to sun


Mostly clear

Saturday Night

39 °F

A shower in spots this evening; otherwise, clear to partly cloudy


Mostly cloudy

Sunday

78 °F

Cloudy most of the time, breezy and warmer


Mostly cloudy

Sunday Night

47 °F

Rather cloudy and windy


Windy

Monday

60 °F

Very windy; cloudy and cooler


Intermittent clouds

Monday Night

41 °F

Partly cloudy


Intermittent clouds

Tuesday

59 °F

Cool with times of clouds and sun; windy in the afternoon


Partly cloudy

Tuesday Night

32 °F

Partly cloudy


Intermittent clouds

Wednesday

60 °F

Times of clouds and sun


Intermittent clouds

Wednesday Night

35 °F

Partly cloudy


Sunrise and Sunset

Sunrise
5:55 AM
Sunset
7:59 PM

Based on AccuWeather data