For 2/22/09: We have entered a day of transition with this light high altitude cloud cover early expected to build through the day as a pacific wave moves through the west. The high pressure ridge that has kept us in the sunny skies will linger long enough to give this moisture a bump to the north and keep us on the sidelines of what appears to be a pretty weak system through the beginning of the week.

Overnight lows are already indicating better mixing with Gunnison reporting -3 degrees while Crested Butte held at 1 degree. We will see another mild high in the mid 30’s valley wide but expect the rebound from the cold overnight lows to happen a little slower thanks to the light cloud cover.

A zonal pattern will dominate our weather through the beginning of this week with snow in varied degrees expected starting early tomorrow but this first wave will favor the north and we will be lift on the southern edge without significant dynamics to get the snow falling. The sum total will be a nice candy coating offering a few inches of fresh snow but this doesn’t look to be a big snowmaker. Layer up as you head out today and expect light gusting winds and increasing cloud cover.
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