The weekly weather forecast for the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Researched and written weekly by professional meteorologist and avid mountaineer, Dan "the weather man" Gottas.
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Thursday, August 27th, 2009
Rocky Mountain National Park Weather Forecast
It was a split decision in the weather arena over the last week in the mountains of RMNP.
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The Week in Review
Dry, warm, and stable (storm free) conditions occurred last Thu. – Sat. (8/20 -8/22), as a ridge of high pressure set up shop right over the state of CO.
Since July, these short stretches of big-blue days have added up to an unprecedented number of perfect alpine climbing weather days, by CO standards.
As the ridge axis shifted east of CO on Sun. (8/23), subtropical moisture moved back into the region on south-southwesterly flow. This brought an increase in cloudiness and helped to fuel afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms through the remainder of the week.
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Getting into the crux section of 'Werks Up' on the Bastille in Eldorado Canyon, Colorado.
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Click on forecast map to enlarge
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The Upcoming Week
Associated with this weather pattern, drier air will move over the area on northeasterly-northwesterly flow on Thu. – Sat. (8/27 – 8/29).
While there will be enough moisture and heat to produce afternoon convective clouds, the deep convective processes required for thunderstorm formation will be greatly suppressed. A few isolated light afternoon showers may be possible.
The ridge is forecast to break down and migrate southward on Sun. (8/30), as weak jet-stream energy moves in from the northwest. This will mark the return of a more unsettled weather pattern for the mountains, with an increasing risk of precipitation and thunderstorm activity through mid week. Temperatures will also cool during this time.
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Click on chart to enlarge.
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The NWS numerical forecast for the mountains of RMNP over the upcoming weekend
Click chart to enlarge
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Detailed 7-Day Forecast
The link above will take you to the National Weather Service forecast for the 12,000 foot level near Longs Peak. These forecasts are derived from computer-generated numerical forecasts, and are updated shortly after 3:30 am, 9:30 am, 3:30 pm, and 9:30 pm local time. In the lower right-hand corner of the page, one can view forecasts for other locations in the Park by clicking on the desired location in the terrain map.
Do-It-Yourself Weather Forecast Links
The link above provides a list of web links to various sites containing a variety of meteorological data and information. Collectively, these resources can be used to monitor and study current weather conditions, as well short-term, medium-range, and climate forecasts.
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