Front Range Foothills / Denver Metro Weather Briefing – 6 May 2012 – 0650 hrs MDT

Synopsis: I hope you enjoyed the summer weather for the past couple of days because it came to a screeching halt last night with the passage of a cold front. Today’s high temps will be 20 to 25 degrees cooler than what it has been. Precipitation will move into the region later this afternoon through Monday with rain in the metro and snow, yes I said snow, above 7500 feet in the foothills. Snow accumulation will be from 3 to 5 inches mainly in the higher elevations of above 8500 feet, and because it has been so warm, I am anticipating little snow accumulation on the road ways.

Watches & Warnings:

None at this time in the metro or foothills

Hazardous Weather Outlook for Today: North winds at 15 to 20 mph with some gusts to 30 mph will continue across the northeast plains today. Temperatures will also be noticeably cooler that the past several days. Later this afternoon and tonight, clouds will increase and rain is expected to develop along the Front Range foothills and over the adjacent plains. A weather disturbance aloft will be responsible for the rainfall tonight. The snow level in the mountains and foothills will drop to around 7500 feet overnight. The eastern slopes of the mountains are expected to get 3 to 5 inches of snow, mainly above 9000 feet.

For Monday through Saturday: Rain and snow showers will be likely in the mountains and foothills on Monday with a good chance of rain showers along the Front Range. Over the northeast plains there will be a chance of rain showers. The snow level will be around 7000 feet on Monday. Snow accumulations of 3 to 6 inches will be possible in the mountains with up to 3 inches in the foothills.

For Tuesday through Thursday drier conditions will be over the area with only a slight chance of thunderstorms in the mountains and foothills. Temperatures will gradually rise as well. By Friday another cold front will move across the area bringing cooler temperatures along with a slight chance of showers.



Front Range Foothills Forecast

Today: Isolated showers after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 53. East southeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north northeast. Winds could gust as high as 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight: Rain and snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 34. Northeast wind at 6 mph becoming south southwest. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

Monday: Rain and snow showers likely, becoming all rain after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 46. East wind between 5 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Monday Night: A chance of rain and snow showers before midnight, then a slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. East wind around 6 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 55. Calm wind becoming east southeast between 4 and 7 mph.

West Denver Metro Forecast

Today: Isolated showers after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 59. East wind 7 to 11 mph becoming north. Chance of precipitation is 10%.

Tonight: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 39. North northeast wind between 5 and 13 mph, with gusts as high as 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 52. Northeast wind between 3 and 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36. North northeast wind at 5 mph becoming west southwest.

Tuesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 63. West southwest wind around 5 mph becoming east.

Fire Weather for Zone 239 (Below 6000 feet) –

Today...


Sky/weather.........partly cloudy (40-50%) until 1200...then mostly cloudy (50-60%). Isolated rain showers after 1200.

Max temperature.....59-63.
24 hr trend......20-25 degrees cooler.

Min humidity........32-42%.
24 hr trend......20-25% wetter.

20-foot winds.......northeast 8-14 mph with gusts to 20 mph.

Haines index........2 very low.

LAL.................1.

CWR.................0 percent.

10k ft free winds...southwest 20-30 mph.

Mixing height.......6500-7500 ft agl.

Transport winds.....north 10-15 mph until 1100...then light and variable.

Smoke dispersal.....poor.


Tonight...


Sky/weather.........mostly cloudy. Rain likely.

Min temperature.....39-43.
24 hr trend......7-10 degrees cooler.

Max humidity........77-87%.
24 hr trend......4-7% wetter.

20-foot winds.......north 8-13 mph in the evening becoming variable less than 8 mph.

Haines index........2 very low.

LAL.................1.

CWR.................30 percent.

10k ft free winds...southwest 20-30 mph.

Mixing height.......5500-6500 ft agl.

Transport winds.....light and variable.

Smoke dispersal.....poor.


Monday...


Sky/weather.........cloudy. Rain showers likely.

Max temperature.....50-54.
24 hr trend......7-10 degrees cooler.

Min humidity........51-55%.
24 hr trend......15-20% wetter.

20-foot winds.......variable less than 8 mph.

Haines index........2 very low.

LAL.................1.

CWR.................40 percent.

10k ft free winds...southwest 20-30 mph.

Mixing height.......7000-8000 ft agl.

Transport winds.....light and variable.

Smoke dispersal.....poor.



Fire Weather Zone 216 (Above 6000 Feet)



Today...

Sky/weather.........partly cloudy (50-60%) until 1200...then mostly cloudy. Isolated rain showers after 1200.

Max temperature.....48-56.
24 hr trend......20-25 degrees cooler.

Min humidity........28-38%.
24 hr trend......20-25% wetter.

20-foot winds.......
Valleys / lower slopes...upslope / upvalley 4-10 mph becoming east 8-13 mph with gusts to 25 mph in the afternoon.
Ridges / upper slopes....upslope / upvalley 4-10 mph becoming east 8-12 mph with gusts to 20 mph in the afternoon.

Haines index........2 very low.

LAL.................1.

CWR.................0 percent.

10k ft free winds...southwest 25-35 mph.

Mixing height.......6000-7000 ft agl.

Transport winds.....north around 10 mph until 0700...then light and variable until 1700...then southeast around 10 mph.

Smoke dispersal.....poor.


Tonight...


Sky/weather.........cloudy. Rain and snow likely.

Min temperature.....30-38.
24 hr trend......little change.

Max humidity........72-82%.
24 hr trend......little change.

20-foot winds.......
Valleys / lower slopes...northeast 8-13 mph with gusts to 25 mph in the evening becoming downslope / downvalley 2-8 mph.
Ridges / upper slopes....northeast 8-12 mph with gusts to 20 mph in the evening becoming downslope/downvalley 2-8 mph.

Haines index........2 very low.

LAL.................1.

CWR.................50 percent.

10k ft free winds...southwest 25-35 mph.

Mixing height.......5000-6000 ft agl.

Transport winds.....east around 10 mph.

Smoke dispersal.....poor.


Monday...


Sky/weather.........mostly cloudy. Rain and snow showers likely.

Max temperature.....42-50.
24 hr trend......4-7 degrees cooler.

Min humidity........48-58%.
24 hr trend......20-25% wetter.

20-foot winds.......
Valleys / lower slopes...east 8-12 mph with gusts to 20 mph.
Ridges / upper slopes....east 8-12 mph with gusts to 20 mph.

Haines index........2 very low.

LAL.................1.

CWR.................40 percent.

10k ft free winds...southwest 25-35 mph.

Mixing height.......6500-7500 ft agl.

Transport winds.....southeast around 10 mph until 1600...then light and variable.

Smoke dispersal.....fair.