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Sunday Update: The Front Range Forecast: Wandering Thunder

In Brief:

Warm temperatures and afternoon storms set up.

Sunday Update:

Temperatures are quite warm this week with moisture coming into the state from the Gulf. We'll see afternoon thunderstorms most days with a bit more of a cool down and more water Wednesday with a brief cool front passage.

Spring is settling in.  I'm thinking that any I-25 snow, between now and June, is looking very unlikely.

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Figure 1 update: the 10 day graphical forecast for Longmont from weatherunderground.com

End Sunday Update.

The Forecast Discussion:

A short wave ridge is moving in pushed by a short wave trough (Figure 2) that will rapidly warm us up this weekend (Figure 1), then brings fairly strong winds to the Front Range (Figure 3) Monday and Tuesday. See the Longer Range Forecast, below, for the end of the week.

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Figure 1: the 10 day graphical forecast for Longmont from weatherunderground.com
 
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Figure 2: the 500mb upper air map for Monday from the GFS and tropicaltidbits.com

 

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Figure 3: the surface wind speed forecast map from the GFS and weather5280.com

 

The Longer Range Forecast:

The next 5 days sees precipitation (rain and snow - Figures 4 and 5) confined to the mountains. A broad trough and cut-off low moves in for the end of the week bringing us an extended period of cool wet weather.  I don't see any snow for I-25 folks through mid-month. Was that "it" for snow this side of Summer?

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Figure 4: the precipitation forecast map from the GFS and weather5280.com
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Figure 5: the 10:1 ratio snowfall forecast map from the GFS and weather5280.com

 


About the Author: John Ensworth

John Ensworth used to work from Longmont as the PI for the NASA through the IGES (The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies). He now teaches technology, algebra, astronomy, meteorology, film school, and Lego robotics to middle/high school.
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Current Weather

Sunny

Sunny

56°F

UV Index
5 Moderate
Pressure
30.1 Rising
Visibility
8 miles
Dewpoint
45 °F
Humidity
67%
Wind
E 3.8 mph
Gust
7 mph
Wind Chill
56 °F

Hourly Forecast

Today
10 AM
62°F
Mostly sunny
Today
11 AM
66°F
Mostly sunny
Today
12 PM
69°F
Mostly sunny
Today
1 PM
72°F
Mostly sunny
Today
2 PM
75°F
Mostly sunny
Today
3 PM
78°F
Mostly sunny
Today
4 PM
76°F
Partly sunny w/ t-storms
Today
5 PM
73°F
Mostly sunny
Today
6 PM
71°F
Mostly sunny
Today
7 PM
68°F
Mostly sunny
Today
8 PM
65°F
Partly sunny
Today
9 PM
63°F
Partly cloudy

7 Day Forecast

Partly sunny w/ t-storms

Saturday

78 °F

Mostly sunny and not as warm, becoming breezy with a thunderstorm in spots this afternoon


Partly cloudy

Saturday Night

49 °F

Partly cloudy


Mostly sunny

Sunday

84 °F

Sunshine and patchy clouds; breezy in the afternoon


Mostly clear

Sunday Night

49 °F

Mainly clear


Intermittent clouds

Monday

70 °F

Cooler with times of sun and clouds; a thunderstorm in spots in the afternoon


Thunderstorms

Monday Night

46 °F

Cloudy with a couple of thundershowers


Thunderstorms

Tuesday

60 °F

Mostly cloudy and cooler; a couple of afternoon showers and a thunderstorm


Intermittent clouds

Tuesday Night

37 °F

Partly cloudy


Partly sunny

Wednesday

73 °F

Pleasant and warmer with partial sunshine


Mostly clear

Wednesday Night

40 °F

Mainly clear


Sunrise and Sunset

Sunrise
5:41 AM
Sunset
8:13 PM

Based on AccuWeather data