Category: Verification (Page 2 of 44)

These posts take a look back at recent weather events, like snow storms or severe weather outbreaks, and evaluate how the forecast played out. We evaluate how well the models predicted what actually occurred, and offer insight into what can be learned and applied moving forward.

Winter “Storm” Recap: An extremely brief snow squall brought dangerous whiteout conditions to the entire area Tuesday morning, but not much actual snow

February 28, 2024 / BoulderCAST Team

In dramatic fashion, an intense snow squall blew up over Boulder Tuesday morning and spread across the entire Denver Metro area leading to brief whiteout conditions just after the morning commute window. The heavy snowfall ended as quickly as it began, leaving behind rather unimpressive snowfall totals in the Front Range. However, as they say, it’s not about where you end up — it’s about how you got there! We discuss the crazy weather that unfolded on Tuesday and take a look at the snowfall totals.

Front Range Snowfall Totals: February 15-17, 2024

February 17, 2024 / BoulderCAST Team

Well, most of us are waking up and having to shovel snow for the third Saturday in a row! This tiny recap post covers our latest winter storm, including a map of the verified snowfall totals and where we stand season-to-date against climatology.

Winter Weather Update: A late-week cold front will usher in colder temperatures & light snow to the Front Range (Updated)

February 15, 2024 / BoulderCAST Team

After a rather quiet week with seasonal temperatures, winter weather will return to the Front Range for the third weekend in a row as colder air and a quick shot of light accumulating snow arrive Friday evening and night. We discuss the atmospheric setup about to unfold, the potential snowfall amounts across the Metro area and Foothills, as well as when travel will be most impacted.

Update (Friday 2/16/24 8:00AM): We’re now seeing a better signal of stalled convergence/jet-forcing briefly sitting over the Denver area Friday evening, combined with a continued expectation for very fluffy snow ratios. Thus, we’ve bumped up snow amounts across the Metro area. Please check the updated snowfall map and storm impact timeline near the end of this post. We talk about this shift and much more in Friday morning’s Premium discussion HERE.

Front Range Snowfall Totals: February 9-11, 2024

February 11, 2024 / BoulderCAST Team

A tiny recap of the two-phase snow storm Friday into Saturday, including a map of the verified snowfall totals.

January 2024 Graphical Weather Review: One of our coldest starts to a calendar year!

February 6, 2024 / BoulderCAST Team

The beginning of 2024 was completely opposite to the conclusion of 2023, with temperatures taking a sharp colder turn as multiple Arctic outbreaks slammed the Front Range. Warmer temperatures toward the end of the month saved January from being one of the all-time coldest here. There were also several light snow events during the month, but nothing substantial — not surprising as January is our driest month of the year after all. Here’s a quick and colorful graphical recap of our weather during January and how it relates to climatology.

Winter Storm Recap: The system that buried the Front Range in cement was Boulder’s wettest February storm on record

February 5, 2024 / BoulderCAST Team

Well, our snowfall forecast for the sloppy weekend storm ended up being a tad off in many areas. Hopefully our in-depth discussions in the days leading up to the event highlighted that the exact outcome of this warmer-than-usual storm was highly uncertain. We first review the record-breaking precipitation and snowfall totals across the Front Range. Then we discuss what went wrong with the forecast and dive into the finer details of this implausible moisture-infused winter storm.

This Week in Colorado Weather: January 16, 2024

January 16, 2024 / Ben Castellani

With the Great Arctic Blast of 2024 starting to wrap up across Front Range Colorado, the weather week ahead will be comparatively less eventful. However, there are multiple disturbances lined up in the coming days which will bring waves of moderate to heavy snow in the Mountains as well as a small chance of wintry precipitation to the Metro area. A thawing trend will ensue in the coming days, but temperatures won’t get back above normal until late in the weekend or early next week.

Arctic Blast Sunday PM Update: Widespread snow & even colder temperatures move in Monday

January 14, 2024 / BoulderCAST Team

Just when you might have thought things were turning warmer, a secondary Arctic front and more snow will arrive to the Front Range on Monday. Additional snow accumulations and slick travel are expected during the day with the coldest temperatures we’ve seen yet developing Monday night. Let’s take a look at the latest as the ongoing Arctic blast delivers one final blow on MLK Day!