For 2/26/09: We have definitely found our way into a strange pocket of winter weather with the pattern remaining zonal and drawing weak pacific systems into northern Colorado while random remnants move along the divide and offer us snow. The high gusting winds that we saw overnight have further shuffled the pattern introducing a more concentrated pocket of moisture to southwestern Colorado but this will still just keep us in light snow with continued warm temperatures.

Overnight lows stayed mild with the heavy cloud cover with Gunnison reporting 19 degrees while Crested Butte stayed warmer at 26 degree. Skies will remain cloudy today but temperatures will climb to a valley wide high in the high 30’s again and threaten the low 40’s in Gunnison. We will see more of the same temperatures through tonight and tomorrow with little change in either the pattern or available moisture.

Given the unorganized nature of this current stream of moisture and the damage done with the winds overnight we can expect to see some scattered pockets of sunshine mixing with squally snow showers. Accumulations will be minimal valley wide but look for the best chance over the divide and higher terrain. Layer up as you head out and be aware of the potential for windchill values significantly lower than the warm ambient temperatures. 

Look for a complete Crested Butte and Gunnison weather report, 24 hour trends and real time weather information now available at WWW.CBTV.TV.