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Next Storm/Next Snow Forecast Discussion from the Cherrywood Observatory – February 15, 2019

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

Forecast Discussion:

The 'storm' is underway this Valentine's evening (the temperatures dropped 20 degrees F between late morning and 7 pm). The weather map for Friday am is very bullish on precipitation covering all of the state (Figure 1). When we get into the finer details, it really looks like not much happens here in town (the mountains get BURIED though).

The chance of rain/snow is, at best, 20% through Friday am (Figure 2). We still climb to the 50's F Friday.

The HRRR model, only through 8 am Friday, shows water of some kind (measurable liquid equivalent) coming down to just west of Longmont (Figure 3) and no further. The very light snow dusting seems to make it to Main Street (Figure 4). The show, from the GFS, through Saturday also skips Longmont (Figure 5).

The longer range forecast:

By Sunday, a big trough moves in and sits over the western U.S. (red line to our west in Figure 6). Starting Sunday, with this upper-air pattern in place, we cool to highs in the 30's F for the foreseeable future. There seems to be a snow storm at the start of the week, but we will be lucky to get an inch or two at this point. The GFS for the next 10 days (Figure 7) puts Longmont in a down-slope-flow-snow-hole with just an inch or so.

Figure 1: The forecast surface map for Friday AM. From NCEP.
Figure 2: the graphical forecast for the next 10 days for Longmont, CO from weatherunderground.com
Figure 3: the forecast accumulated precipitation map from the HRRR and weather5280.com for Colorado, through Friday 8am.
Figure 4: the forecast accumulated snow map from the HRRR and weather5280.com for Colorado, through Friday 8am.
Figure 5: the forecast accumulated snow map from the GFS and weather5280.com for Colorado, through Saturday noon.
Figure 6: The 500mb forecast upper air analysis for Sunday PM. Pink dot is Longmont. Red lines are troughs, blue lines are ridges.
Figure 7: the forecast accumulated snow map from the GFS and weather5280.com for Colorado, for the next 10 days.

Current Weather

Mostly cloudy

Mostly cloudy

62°F

UV Index
1 Low
Pressure
29.65 Rising
Visibility
7 miles
Dewpoint
38 °F
Humidity
42%
Wind
NE 5.7 mph
Gust
10.7 mph
Wind Chill
62 °F

Hourly Forecast

Today
7 PM
60°F
Thunderstorms
Today
8 PM
56°F
Cloudy
Today
9 PM
52°F
Cloudy
Today
10 PM
50°F
Thunderstorms
Today
11 PM
48°F
Thunderstorms
Tomorrow
12 AM
46°F
Cloudy
Tomorrow
1 AM
46°F
Cloudy
Tomorrow
2 AM
45°F
Cloudy
Tomorrow
3 AM
44°F
Rain
Tomorrow
4 AM
44°F
Cloudy
Tomorrow
5 AM
44°F
Rain
Tomorrow
6 AM
44°F
Rain

7 Day Forecast

Mostly cloudy w/ t-storms

Friday

69 °F

Variable cloudiness with a couple of thundershowers this afternoon; gusty winds and small hail can accompany any downpour


Thunderstorms

Friday Night

41 °F

Cloudy; a couple of showers and a thunderstorm this evening followed by periods of rain late; gusty winds and small hail can accompany any downpour


Rain

Saturday

44 °F

Chilly with periods of rain and a thunderstorm; travel in the foothills and mountains will be slippery due to snow


Rain and snow

Saturday Night

36 °F

Cloudy with rain, mixed with a little snow late; travel in the foothills and mountains will be slippery due to snow


Mostly cloudy

Sunday

61 °F

Mostly cloudy and warmer


Intermittent clouds

Sunday Night

36 °F

A thunderstorm in spots in the evening; otherwise, partly cloudy


Partly sunny

Monday

71 °F

Partly sunny, pleasant and warmer


Partly cloudy

Monday Night

45 °F

Partly cloudy


Mostly sunny

Tuesday

73 °F

Pleasant with sunshine and patchy clouds


Partly cloudy

Tuesday Night

40 °F

Partly cloudy


Sunrise and Sunset

Sunrise
6:06 AM
Sunset
7:51 PM

Based on AccuWeather data