SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS WEATHER FORECAST: 12/25/12

25 Dec SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS WEATHER FORECAST: 12/25/12

The Christmas storm brought snow to the mountains & valleys in SW Colorado yesterday and early this morning.  With trough passage the flow shifted to the north side of the range as it dove southeast into New Mexico cutting off snow showers on the south side, but is still snowing lightly on the north side.  Tonight a ridge of high pressure builds in from the west with winds shifting again to the SW along with high clouds preceding the next storm moving down the NW coast from the Gulf of Alaska.
We’ll have another period of snow on tap as a broad trough with good Pacific moisture slowly makes it way down the coast and across the Great Basin affecting the San Juans late Wednesday into Friday.  Still too early to tell because the models aren’t revealing amounts just yet, but a broad brush paints the valleys with a few more inches and the mountains receiving up to a foot in favored locations (WSW aspects) from this almost two day storm.
High pressure builds back in by Saturday but quickly transitions as a trough drops into the Great Basin with another round of snow closing out the year.  Temperatures will return to the cold side with valley inversions through the weekend.