This evening as I write this it is raining here in Nederland, Colorado. It seems like it has been at least a few weeks since it has rained here which is not uncommon for September in the Central Rockies, but when you live in a fire prone area, spells of dry weather can be nerve wracking.
After a relatively warm evening last night (it was 60 F when I went to bed at 11 PM) a cold front pushed southward across Colorado early this morning. By 7 AM it was 38 F here in Nederland with high temperatures only rebounding to 66 F this afternoon. The temperature plot from my weather station nicely shows the cooling temperatures and moistening air with the passage of that cold front early this morning:
And the radar image this evening shows rain over much of Boulder County:
You might notice that the showers in this image appear to be organized in a band stretching from southwestern Boulder County to just north of Sterling. Looking at the winds at about 25000 feet, the level of the jet stream, notice how this rain band nicely aligns with the jet stream’s right entrance region (circled in red) located just northeast of Colorado:
This location relative to the jet stream is helping to enhance the rainfall over our area.
Things will dry out later tonight and temperatures will moderate this weekend. After a chilly start on Saturday morning, highs should be in the mid 60s F. By Sunday, highs will be back in the 70s F with plenty of sunshine.
A stronger cold front will visit us on Monday night bringing a period of cool upslope flow on Tuesday and Wednesday. Some precipitation will also be possible, but amounts should be on the light side.
Ironically, this is the same storm system that is producing an impressive winter storm over western Montana in areas near and east of Glacier National Park. Here is the National Weather Service snowfall forecast for those areas:
If you are thinking, “Man, I wish I was there!”, then you know you are a true snow lover!