For 2/20/09: High pressure is setting up in the west and the sunny skies we saw yesterday are just a taste of what is to come. Like yesterday there will be some scattered cloud cover sifting in on a dirty western flow so packing layers will be a good idea but sunny skies will offer balmy daytime highs well above the seasonal norms.

Temperatures are our big variable under this pattern with the strong inversion we were expecting setting up overnight and we are seeing a cold clear morning. Gunnison is reporting an overnight low of -12 degrees while Crested Butte hit -10 degrees. We will rebound quickly at the higher elevations under these sunny skies but look for the lower valleys to stay colder longer with highs a few degrees colder than the ridges. We will see the mid 30’s today for most elevations but expect some gusting winds to keep it cool at times. These huge temperature swings will be with us through the weekend so be prepared if you are getting an early start on a big adventure and layer up.

Clear and sunny will be the name of the game through the weekend but a zonal pattern developing into the beginning of the week will start to tap the pacific flow again and we will see more snow potential by late Monday. Until then definitely get outside and enjoy these incredible conditions and don’t forget your sunscreen.
Look for a complete Crested Butte and Gunnison weather report, 24 hour trends and real time weather information now available at WWW.CBTV.TV.