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Mountaintop snowfall around Steamboat could come Monday or Tuesday night

Teresa Ristow

— The highest elevations in Steamboat Springs could see the first seasonal snowfall Monday and Tuesday nights, according to a forecast from the National Weather Service.

Meteorologist Jeff Colton said Sunday that some forecasting models are predicting light snowfall higher than 12,000 feet.

“It’s not super cold, but some of our computer models are projecting that possibility, so we’re throwing it out there,” Colton said. “There is a possibility of snow above 12,000 feet.”



The closest elevations above 12,000 feet exist within the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and the Mount Zirkel Wilderness north of Steamboat. Mount Werner tops out at 10,568 feet while Rabbit Ears Pass reaches 9,426 feet, so it’s unlikely if it did snow that any would be visible from the valley floor.

In the valley, temperatures are expected to remain in the mid-70s on Monday, with cloud cover and showers predicted by the afternoon.



The remnants of former hurricane Linda and a Pacific storm in the Gulf of Alaska will bring cool, and likely wet, weather beginning Monday afternoon, according to Steamboat Springs meteorologist Mike Weissbluth, who runs snowalarm.com.

Periods of rainfall later Monday and overnight into Tuesday could occur, but the intensity of the rain might be tempered if cool and cloudy conditions are present earlier in the day Monday, Weissbluth said.

Daytime temperatures are predicted to hover in the 60s for most of the week, with overnight lows in the mid 40s Monday and Tuesday night and dipping as low as to 35 degrees by Thursday and Friday nights.

“By Tuesday it will be down into the 60s in the valley, and that will hold for the week,” Colton said.

The possibility of showers off and on is expected through at least Wednesday or Thursday, with forecasting models indicating the weather may get warmer and drier heading into the weekend, Weissbluth said.

Weissbluth said some models predict a weak Pacific storm approaching the West Coast early next weekend, bringing the possibility of more moisture here by mid-weekend, particularly south of Steamboat Springs.

“This will be a quick moving storm with warm and dry weather quickly returning heading into the following work week,” Weissbluth said.

To reach Teresa Ristow, call 970-871-4206, email tristow@SteamboatToday.com or follow her on Twitter @TeresaRistow


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