Snow will fly across Nederland and the Front Range Foothills this evening on the heels of a cold Bora wind. The heaviest snow will be near and to the West of the Continental Divide favoring locations such as Winter Park, Steamboat Springs, and the central Colorado Mountains. Precipitation in most locations east the Continental Divide will be suppressed by downsloping westerly winds. Still Eldora will likely see several inches of snow, with a few inches in downtown Nederland, and about an inch in the Saint Anton’s subdivision. Although temperatures have been relatively mild the past few weeks and precipitation light, Nederland has had slightly above normal snowfall so far for the season. We’ve had nearly 28 inches of snow. Normally by the end of November we’ve only had 21 inches.
A positive Pacific North American (PNA) pattern will set up in the atmosphere next week. This will spell out a period of above normal temperatures and dry conditions in Colorado with much of the cold air pouring into the eastern United States. This tranquil weather will be great for travel for the Thanksgiving Holiday, but it will help to limit the amount of terrain Colorado ski areas are able to open.
La Nina is here, and it looks like it will remain with us through the winter. La Nina winters can bring stellar snow amounts to the Central Mountains and the ski resorts west of the Continental Divide. While Colorado weather is variable, the Front Range foothills, including Nederland, do tend to see fewer upslope storms, meaning that these areas see fewer significant snowfalls.
Before temperatures warm next week, Saturday will be a reminder that it is mid November with high temperatures struggling to get out of the 30s.