5/19/22 Thursday 7:30 am
Two records are going to be at risk in Denver Metro over the next 48 hours. Temperatures near 90 degrees will likely fall just short of the record of 92 degrees for this date. Friday night into Saturday will challenge the heaviest late-season snowfall for May.
The NWS has been fighting the weather models’ snowfall output for Denver all week. The models have been quite convinced that a major winter storm would impact the area. The NWS in Boulder has been forced to capitulate slightly and give some credence to what they have been seeing all week. They have now issued a Winter Storm Watch
LARIMER COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/NORTHWEST WELD COUNTY-BOULDER AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES BELOW 6000 FEET/WEST BROOMFIELD COUNTY-
NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY-
ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET- INCLUDING GOULD, NORTH PARK, RAND, SPICER, WALDEN, DILLON, FRASER, GRANBY, GRAND LAKE, HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, KREMMLING, FAIRPLAY, HARTSEL, LAKE GEORGE, SOUTH PARK, FORT COLLINS, HEREFORD, LOVELAND, NUNN, ARVADA, BOULDER, GOLDEN, LAKEWOOD, LONGMONT, AURORA, BRIGHTON, CITY OF DENVER, DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, HIGHLANDS RANCH, LITTLETON, PARKER, CASTLE ROCK, ELBERT, FONDIS, KIOWA, AND LARKSPUR
355 AM MDT THU MAY 19 2022
NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY BELOW 6000 FEET/DENVER/WEST ADAMS AND ARAPAHOE COUNTIES/EAST BROOMFIELD COUNTY-
ELBERT/CENTRAL AND EAST DOUGLAS COUNTIES ABOVE 6000 FEET- INCLUDING GOULD, NORTH PARK, RAND, SPICER, WALDEN, DILLON, FRASER, GRANBY, GRAND LAKE, HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, KREMMLING, FAIRPLAY, HARTSEL, LAKE GEORGE, SOUTH PARK, FORT COLLINS, HEREFORD, LOVELAND, NUNN, ARVADA, BOULDER, GOLDEN, LAKEWOOD, LONGMONT, AURORA, BRIGHTON, CITY OF DENVER, DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, HIGHLANDS RANCH, LITTLETON, PARKER, CASTLE ROCK, ELBERT, FONDIS, KIOWA, AND LARKSPUR
355 AM MDT THU MAY 19 2022
…WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING…
* WHAT…HEAVY SNOW IS POSSIBLE. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 12 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. WINDS COULD GUST AS HIGH AS 35 MPH.
* WHERE…PORTIONS OF CENTRAL, NORTH CENTRAL, AND NORTHEAST COLORADO.
* WHEN…FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
* IMPACTS…TRAVEL COULD BE VERY DIFFICULT. THE HAZARDOUS
CONDITIONS COULD IMPACT THE EVENING COMMUTE.
They have also issued a Winter Storm Watch for the foothills west and northwest of town for 12 to 24 inches. The biggest concern should be downed powerlines from tree damage.
Not nearly as exciting for us. The winds are going to pick back up. I have been talking about that for a week so hopefully, this won’t come as a surprise to anyone. Today will be another warm one. Things will cool slightly on Friday and a little more on Saturday. Very little beneficial precipitation will fall with this storm. Maybe an angry inch for Telluride and Red Mountain pass by Saturday morning.
I don’t believe this will be the last snow to fall in Colorado this month. In fact, winter could extend into June for some of the mountains of Colorado and the inter-mountain west.
The winds will not help firefighters battling the Plumtaw fire north of Pagosa Springs. The recent overnight data lists the fire at 735 acres. The fire is not a direct threat to Pagosa Springs at the moment. They are concerned with protecting the Fourmile Creek watershed, water intake, and associated infrastructure, which is
a critical water supply for the town of Pagosa Springs.
a critical water supply for the town of Pagosa Springs.
My next update will be on Friday. Thanks for following and supporting the site!