Updated 4/10 @ 3:50pm – Another pretty typical spring snowstorm has come and gone.  In a span of a bit more than 24 hours we go from sunny, 60 degree temperatures to rain with thunderstorms to snow and near blizzard conditions.  You have to love Colorado weather!  Here in Thornton we measured 2.8″ of very wet snow.  Some of the other area totals:

Denver – 2.5 inches
Fort Morgan – 2.4 inches
Greely – 4.0 inches
Greenwood Village – 6.0 inches
Highlands Ranch – 4.0 inches
Parker – 6.7 inches
Wheat Ridge – 1.0 inches

A chance of snow showers remains in the forecast through Friday night but the weekend is looking great with at or above normal temperatures.

Updated 4/10 @ 6:00am – Definitely a wet one out there!  The rain started around 8:00pm in Thornton last night and we saw 0.2″ of rain before midnight.  After tapering off, the snow started falling before 4:00am and it is coming down pretty good now but thanks to the warm ground, not much is sticking to the roads although they are very wet.  The Snow & Blowing Snow Advisory remains in effect until 6:00pm tonight primarily because of the winds we are seeing.  Northeastern Colorado is going to bear the brunt of the storm so if you are heading that way on I-76, be prepared.  In Thornton we will probably only see an inch or two of snow during the day today. 

April 08, 2008 @ 17:08 – Winter Storm Watch Issued – A Big One Coming?

A big one or a big dud – that is the question.  The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for most of northeastern Colorado and much of the mountain areas which goes into effect Wednesday night.  The weather patterns are very dynamic right now and it is tough to say exactly what is going to happen; as always, a lot depends on what track the storm takes.  Travel will almost certainly be impacted but it is a matter of where that impact will occur that is the question. 

 At the current time the earliest we would expect precipitation along the Front Range is mid-day Wednesday.  Assuming the upslope conditions setup as it looks like they will, things will start with a rain and snow mix and then turn to all snow by Thursday morning.  Snow totals from 3 to 8 inches are currently projected.  As the storm approaches we will know more about how this will all set up.

 Remember – A winter storm watch means there is a potential for a hazardous winter weather event in and close to the watch area.  Significant snow accumulations may occur that could impact travel.  Stay tuned to ThorntonWeather.com, the National Weather Service or your local news media for the latest updates and possible warning concerning this potential winter storm.

After having showers on and off Monday, Tuesday shapes up to be the nicest day of the week.  It will be mostly sunny with slightly below normal temperatures today.  We then return to an unstable pattern for the rest of the work week beginning Wednesday.  Showers will be present the better part of Wednesday, changing to a rain / snow mix into Wednesday night.  By Thursday we will see mostly sporadic snow showers.  Actual amounts of precipitation vary widely between the models – some calling for 0.1″ to 0.5″ of precipitation, others 0.5″ to 1″.  We’ll know more as we move through the week and everything sets up.

The storm that moved through the Front Range yesterday really didn’t yield much for Thornton with a mere 0.03″ of precipitation.  Areas farther south in the metro area saw quite a bit more; our sister station in Arvada had 0.16″ by contrast.  We did also see a little bit of cloud to cloud lightning picked up on our lightning detector which serves as a reminder that thunderstorms will be here soon. 

Look for temperatures today (Friday) to be near 60.  Saturday looks to be the warmest day with a high near 65 but it will be breezy and will cool quickly in the afternoon as a minor disturbance moves through the area.  Sunday will be much like today.  Further ahead, a front arriving on Monday could bring precipitation to the lower elevations here on the plains although the best chance for moisture right now looks to be in the mountains. 

The storm for today didn’t quite set up as expected so its arrival was delayed and we aren’t expecting quite as much out of it at this point.  At this time Thornton is seeing primarily rain showers with a few snow flakes mixed in.  That rain and snow mix will continue off and on throughout the day and we could see some minor accumulations of snow on grassy areas but that will melt quickly.  The weekend is still looking to be great with temperatures slightly above normal getting into the low 60’s. 

Wednesday should be a nice day with temperatures right around the average of 57 degrees.  Change is in the air though as before midnight we should start seeing rain which will turn to snow as the temperature drops overnight.  As Thursday dawns, we’ll have wet conditions with snow showers for a good part of the daylight hours and a high of around 40.  Total accumulations for the event will range from an inch to three inches but with as warm as it has been the snow won’t stick to much beyond some on the grassy areas. 

Friday and into the weekend look for seasonal temperatures and maybe above the average.  All in all it should be a nice weekend.  The first part of next week is still a bit muddled between the models with some showing a chance for precipitation on Monday and Tuesday.  Stay tuned for more information as it gets closer.