Category: Forecasting 101 (Page 2 of 3)

Weather 101: What does “Fair” weather really mean?

April 17, 2018 / Ben Castellani

Even with thick high-level clouds overhead, yesterday saw “Fair” weather conditions reported across the Metro area, but what does this actually mean? As it turns out, “Fair” weather can signify a lot of things, with one critical caveat.

Forecasting 101: What are snow-to-liquid ratios and why do we care?

March 23, 2018 / Ben Castellani

We often include at least some discussion in our wintry forecasts about snow-to-liquid ratios. In this post, we explain what they are, why they matter, and examine the historical snow ratio record for Front Range Colorado.

Strong downslope winds likely tonight through Wednesday

October 31, 2017 / Ben Castellani

The first high wind event of the “winter” season is upon us. We touch on why these type of downslope events happen, and provide details on the timing and intensity of the strongest winds.

Precipitation vs. Evaporation: Colorado’s Losing Battle

April 26, 2017 / Ben Castellani

On a basic level, you’re likely familiar with the terms precipitation and evaporation. However, their relationship to one another is more important than you may think for Colorado. We explain this relationship and why it has major impacts on our plant life, population sustainability, drought potential, and even feeds back into our every day weather.

Forecasting 101: Front Range freezing drizzle explained

January 25, 2017 / Ben Castellani

Yesterday saw a mix of wintry precipitation fall across the Denver Metro area. Snow pellets and snowflakes were observed in spots, but closer to the Foothills near Boulder, freezing drizzle produced a dangerous glaze of ice that was responsible for numerous car accidents (and probably many pedestrian slips and falls). We explain the rare weather set-up the led to the somewhat unexpected occurrence of ice in Boulder.

The week ahead: January 11-15, 2016

January 11, 2016 / Andy

After a lengthy cold stretch which brought more snow to Colorado and other parts of the country, this week we are in store for moderating temperatures, with the potential for low 50’s come Wednesday, all thanks to the heart of the cold air retreating back to Canada and the Northeast. Colder weather and the potential for snow returns late Friday and for the upcoming weekend. What are the specifics for the week? Read on to find out more!

How Did Forecasters Miss One of Denver’s Biggest Surprise Snowstorms?

December 17, 2015 / Ben Castellani

More than thirty-six hours after the snow has settled on the surprise storm of the year (and quite possibly the decade?) for the Denver Metro area, we explain what went through the minds of the forecasters in the hours leading up to the storm, what likely led to the storm’s deviation from initial forecasts, and recap snowfall totals from across the Front Range.