Topic: Snow in September?

[up10ad N9RJH]

I know that living in northwest Colorado translates into some unpedictable winter weather, but I wasn't ready for the forecast that greeted me this morning:



Although the pop is only 20%, it's just too early in the season for this kinda stuff!  Our first snow that sticks usually hits just about Halloween, and we've done trick-or-treating in the snow many times.  Actually, that part is kinda fun.  The old-timers tell of a snow that fell on the Independance Day parade, that's right, July 4.  

Chances are it won't materialize and if it does it won't amount to much.  We'll see.

[Mark / Ohio]

Burr.

  I'm getting a little worried looking at your's and other's temperatures to our West.  I like winter but don't want it to get in too big of a hurry.  I still have things I need to get done outside.

[up10ad N9RJH]

Well, the snow threat has passed.  Looks like it will still be a bit nippy, but no snow.  I'm not ready for it anyway.  I still have to hook the snow blade on my 4-wheeler and winterize the snow blower.

[up10ad N9RJH]

I guess I spoke too soon.  Last night I left Meeker headed for the Denver area, a trip that usually takes about 3.5 hrs.  At 8pm, about 2 hours into the drive the snow started on I-70 East, just as I began the ascent to Vail summit.  Then suddenly everything came to a grinding halt with red flashing lights visible about a half mile ahead, reflecting from the snow.  As I sat with my wife and dog waiting for things to move again, we had to jostle back and forth to make room for several emergency vbehicles to pass on the shoulders including a fire truck, 4 huge wrecker tow trucks, two ambulances and two CDOT highway repair crews.  The snow kept coming down and after almost 2 hours of waiting in one spot we found that we could drive a few hundred feet up the outside shoulder to an emergency crossover to the westbound lanes.  We had enough and were going to head back to Meeker.  The snow accumulation was between 6-10 inches on the highway as CDOT hadn't begun any plowing operations.  We crept down Vail pass at 5-10 mph in a near-blinding snow and it finally let up between Vail and Eagle, where we increased speed to about 50.  

We finally got back to Meeker at almost 2am and a quick check of the Colorado Road Conditions (right from my website!) showed that I-70 Eastbound had been closed down at Vail due to severe snow conditions and accidents.  Our stoppage was due to a tractor-trailer rig that jacked, involving several other cars as well.  There was also a second accident just outside of Vail.  Our decision to turn back was the right one, as the road didn't open again until this morning.

Sorry, but I'm not ready for this just yet.  This morning the forecast says:



Plese, send me some hot chocolate!

[SLOweather]

My parents are circumnavigating the western US right now. They left San Luis Obispo CA earlier in the week, and are currently up in southern Montana. (I've been following them on APRS.)

Yesterday they had do detour around closed passes and snowstorms in the Yellowstone area.

Meanwhile, here at home the high temp was in the 80s.

[ncpilot]

I knew I had a good reason to live in the southeast--even with hurricanes.......  

[SLOweather]

Plese, send me some hot chocolate!

[up10ad N9RJH]

Meanwhile, here at home the high temp was in the 80s.

We moved here after 27 years in Bakersfield, CA.  On the way home last night Sandi reminded me that we could easily swim in the pool from April to October back in Bakersfield.  Thanks for the yummy, warm, steamy drink!