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The weekend weather forecast for the high country of Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Researched and written by professional meteorologist and avid mountaineer, Dan "the weather man" Gottas.
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Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
Rocky Mountain National Park Weather Forecast
Another week of warm and dry weather made for great late summer climbing conditions in RMNP.
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Week in Review
From 9/15 – 9/19, daytime temperatures peaked in the upper 50s and low 60s F near treeline. Skies were clear and wind gusts remained in the 20 - 35 mph range during most of the period.
A disturbance in the westerlies rolled in on Monday 9/20. With it came a round of isolated afternoon shower activity, a small drop in temperatures, and wind gusts topping 50 mph above treeline.
The latest wave of low pressure to affect the area transported a plume of subtropical moisture northeastward into CO from northern Mexico and the southwest US. On Wednesday 9/22, up to a quarter inch of convective rainfall fell across eastern sections of the Park, with a dusting of snow observed above 11 kft.
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The last week's weather patterns and resulting weather.
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This is one of the best times of the year for climbing at Lumpy Ridge as the cooler temperatures make for stickier conditions on these friction intensive rock routes.
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The Upcoming Weekend
The axis of the latest wave, and its accompanying unsettled weather, will pass to the east of the Park by Thursday morning (9/23). Stable and subsident northwest flow will bring clearing skies and gusty winds to the high peaks.
More great climbing weather is on tap for the weekend, as strong area of high pressure is forecast to build over the Great Basin. Temperatures will rebound, the winds will slacken, and the skies will remain clear during this time.
This dry and stable pattern is currently expected to persist through the first half of next week.
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The south face of the Redgarden Wall in Eldorado Canyon is also cooling down and better climbing conditions here are typically in the fall and spring.
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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.
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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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