7:00 AM | The latest in a series of springtime snowstorms pulls away this morning into the Plains and modification in temperatures begins this afternoon

6-Day Forecast

Today

Becoming mostly sunny, not as cold as Wednesday, but still way below normal for this time of year, highs in the mid 40’s

Tonight

Mostly clear, cold, lows in the upper 20’s

Friday

Mostly sunny, milder, but still below normal, upper 50’s

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, cold, low 30’s

Saturday

Partly sunny, cool, chance for a shower, mid 50’s

Sunday

Partly sunny, milder, mid-to-upper 50’s

Monday

Mostly cloudy, mild, chance for showers, mid 60’s

Tuesday

Partly sunny, mild, breezy, chance for a shower or thunderstorm, mid 60’s

Discussion

Yet another springtime snowstorm is working its way out of the southern Rockies to the Northern Plains and we’ll have significant modification in temperatures over the next couple of days. Temperatures held primarily at or slightly below freezing on Wednesday, but should jump to the mid 40’s this afternoon and then reach the upper 50’s tomorrow afternoon. Even milder air could return to the region early next week.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/GRdVRfugE8Q

7:00 AM | **Hot weather from offshore flow for today and Friday; peak in heat occurs tomorrow afternoon with 90's commonplace in interior sections; fire danger as well**

6-Day Forecast

Today

Becoming mostly sunny, windy, much warmer, highs in the low 80's along the coast and low 90's inland

Tonight

Mostly clear, windy, mild, lows in the upper 50’s

Friday

Mostly sunny, breezy, hot, upper 80’s along the coast and upper 90’s inland

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, mild, lows near 60

Saturday

Partly sunny, much cooler, upper 60’s

Sunday

Mostly cloudy, cool, chance for a shower, mid 60’s

Monday

Partly sunny, cool, chance for a shower, mid 60’s

Tuesday

Partly sunny, cool, chance for a shower, mid 60’s

Discussion

A late season offshore wind event will boost temperatures to very warm levels today throughout the region, but the peak of this short hot spell will occur on Friday afternoon as temperatures soar to well up in the 90’s across interior valley locations. In fact, records could be broken on Friday as even coastal sections will suffer with afternoon highs in the upper 80’s. The offshore flow will also bring very low relative humidity air to the area which will increase the fire danger throughout the region. A noticeable break in the temperatures will occur in the region on Saturday.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/GRdVRfugE8Q

2:30 PM | **Major springtime snowstorm to continue well into the evening**

Discussion

Snow continues this afternoon across the region as a storm system moves across the state and it will continue heavy at times into the early evening hours. Snowfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour can fall this afternoon in and around the Denver metro region and hazardous road conditions will continue throughout the area. Total accumulations by later tonight will be in the 6 inch range in most areas and temperatures will drop through the 20’s in the overnight hours. Winds will continue to be at moderately strong levels out of the northeast with gusts past 25 mph possible causing some blowing and drifting. The storm pulls away on Thursday and quick modification in temperatures begins for the region with highs tomorrow in the 40's and then the 50's return on Friday.

12:15 PM | Sun is now showing a little life; NASA video captures a coronal mass ejection on the edge of the sun and that active region will face the Earth directly next week

Discussion

For the most part, the sun has been relatively quiet this year despite the expectation that the solar maximum for the current solar cycle (#24) will be reached in 2013. Normally, the strongest type of solar flares which are classified by NASA as ”X-flares” are common around the peak of a solar cycle, yet there has not been a single “X-flare” all year. Perhaps, that may change over the next several days as the sun is now showing some life – at least for the short term.

Several sunspot regions are currently visible on the sun and a couple of these (officially called AR1730, AR1731) have magnetic fields that harbor energy for possible strong eruptions over the next couple of days according to NASA scientists. Perhaps of even more interest is what may be lurking on the eastern edge of the sun. NASA’s twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) probes captured a coronal mass ejection (CME) early today on the far side of the sun which will not affect the Earth as the Earth was not in the "line of fire" (CME image on The SI Weather Facebook page - courtesy NASA/Goddard/SDO). Next week, however, that active region on the sun associated with this particular CME will rotate into a position facing the Earth more directly; consequently, it will need to be monitored for possible additional eruptions. Stay tuned.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/9MQt-UxpFLU

7:00 AM | Two day hot spell coming that peaks on Friday

6-Day Forecast

Today

Early morning low clouds and fog; otherwise, partly sunny skies, cool, mid 60’s

Tonight

Mostly clear, cool, lows in the mid-to-upper 50’s

Thursday

Mostly sunny, very warm, upper 70's

Thursday Night

Mostly clear, mild, lows near 60

Friday

Mostly sunny, hot, upper 80’s

Saturday

Mostly sunny, pleasant, near 70

Sunday

Early morning low clouds and fog then becoming mostly sunny, cooler, mid-to-upper 60’s

Monday

Early morning low clouds and fog then becoming mostly sunny, cool, mid-to-upper 60’s

Discussion

High pressure will generate offshore winds on Thursday and Friday and this will cause an abrupt rise in temperatures to the upper 70's on Thursday afternoon and upper 80's on Friday afternoon with even higher levels reached in the interior valley locations. Friday will be the peak for this short hot spell as cooler air returns this weekend with the re-development of marine flow.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/KMIpuzUnKxw

7:00 AM | **Yet another springtime snowstorm and this one falls in May with up to 6 inches by tonight**

6-Day Forecast

Today

Cloudy, much colder, windy, snow, heavy at times, highs in the low-to-mid 30’s

Tonight

Snow likely before midnight; otherwise, mostly cloudy skies, windy and cold, total snow accumulations on the order of 3-6 inches, lows in the middle 20’s

Thursday

Becoming mostly sunny, not as cold as Wednesday, but still way below normal, mid 40’s

Thursday Night

Mostly clear, cold, upper 20’s

Friday

Mostly sunny, milder, mid 50’s

Saturday

Partly sunny, cool, chance for a shower, low 50’s

Sunday

Mostly cloudy, cool, mid 50’s

Monday

Partly sunny, warmer, breezy, mid 60’s

Discussion

Temperatures plunged overnight and precipitation has changed to all snow which will continue today, heavy at times before diminishing later this evening. Total snow accumulations in and around the Denver metro region should be on the order of 3-6 inches in by later tonight from this latest springtime snowstorm. This storm will then reorganize over the Northern Plains bringing the region between Omaha, NE and Minneapolis, MN substantial early May snow accumulations. Temperatures will modify rather quickly here following the storm (mid 40’s on Thursday and mid 50’s on Friday) as a drier flow of air sets up in the region.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/KMIpuzUnKxw

7:00 AM | **More cold and accumulating snow by tomorrow morning; 3-6 inches possible by late tomorrow night**

6-Day Forecast

Today

Partly sunny, still pretty mild, but not as warm as Monday, chance for a few afternoon showers and thunderstorms, highs in the mid-to-upper 50’s

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, turning colder and windy, chance for rain showers early and steady snow late, lows in the lower 30’s by morning

Wednesday

Cloudy, snow, heavy at times, much colder, windy, low-to-mid 30’s

Wednesday Night

Mostly cloudy, snow in the evening, windy, cold, total snowfall accumulations on the order of 3-6 inches, mid 20’s

Thursday

Mostly sunny, still cold, but not as cold as Wednesday, mid 40’s

Friday

Partly sunny, milder, mid-to-upper 50’s

Saturday

Mostly cloudy, chilly, low 50’s

Sunday

Partly sunny, cool, breezy, mid 50’s

Discussion

Yet another shot of cold and snow is headed to the southern Rockies. A deep upper level trough will push in much colder air by late tonight/early Wednesday and any rain that falls this evening will likely change to accumulating snow by tomorrow morning. That snow will continues on Wednesday along with stiff winds and accumulations could end up in the 3-6 inch range by tomorrow night in and around the Denver metro region. A warming trend will take place at the end of the week following the mid-week snow and cold.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/S7T4mvRgQVM

7:00 AM | Big warm up for southern California on Thursday and Friday

6-Day Forecast

Today

Early morning low clouds and fog; otherwise, remaining mostly cloudy, cool, low 60’s

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, fog possible late, cool, lows in the mid 50’s

Wednesday

Early morning low clouds and fog then becoming mostly sunny, warmer, near 70

Wednesday Night

Mostly clear, cool, lows in the mid-to-upper 50’s

Thursday

Mostly sunny, very warm, near 80

Friday

Mostly sunny, very warm, low 80's

Saturday

Mostly sunny, mild, near 70

Sunday

Early morning low clouds and fog then becoming mostly sunny, cooler, mid-to-upper 60’s

Discussion

High pressure will build into the region on Wednesday and this will set off a warming trend that will result in hot and dry weather on Thursday and Friday; especially, for the interior valleys, as an offshore flow of air intensifies. Cooler weather may return by late in the weekend as an onshore flow re-develops.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/S7T4mvRgQVM

1:20 PM | Nationwide chill this spring has had one positive effect - a very quiet tornado season so far

Discussion

The numbers are still coming in and April still has another full day to go, but so far, this is turning out to be one of the coldest starts to spring in many years and the good news is that this nationwide chilly weather pattern has resulted in one of the quietest tornado seasons in many years. The cold has been so relentless across the Plains, South and East during the past couple of months that it has stopped in its tracks one necessary requirement for severe weather and that is the advance northward of very warm and humid air from the Gulf of Mexico. Indeed, yet another cold shot is headed to the Rockies, Plains and Upper Midwest by mid-week with accumulating snow again in the offing for those locations, and it looks like there should be minimal tornado activity for the next several days across the nation.

In terms of tornado statistics, the month of March 2013 saw only 18 tornadoes on a nationwide basis according to the NOAA Storm Prediction Center which was the lowest total in 35 years (1978). This low tornado total for March compares with 154 recorded last year and 75 in 2011. The contrast in April is even more impressive. April 2013 (so far) has only seen 74 tornadoes which is less than the 206 recorded last year and substantially lower than the 758 reported in April 2011. Best news of all, only one fatality so far during this year’s tornado season.

In terms of temperature statistics, the numbers are still being crunched and there is still a full day left in April, but this may turn out to be the coldest March and April combinations on a nationwide basis since the mid-90’s or perhaps even farther back than that.

7:00 AM | Big warm up for the second half of the week; especially, in the interior valleys

6-Day Forecast

Today

Early morning low clouds and fog then becoming partly sunny, breezy, highs in the upper 60’s

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, fog possible late, cool, lows in the mid-to-upper 50’s

Tuesday

Early morning low clouds and fog then becoming partly sunny, mild, low 60’s

Tuesday Night

Mostly clear, cool, lows in the mid-to-upper 50’s

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, warmer, near 70

Thursday

Mostly sunny, very warm, near 80 (even warmer inland)

Friday

Mostly sunny, very warm, near 80 (even warmer inland)

Saturday

Mostly sunny, not as warm, near 70

Discussion

The big story this week will be the big warm up headed our way for the second half of the week. Highs generally in the 60’s for the next couple of days along coastal regions will likely be replaced with highs near 80 degrees by Thursday and Friday as large high pressure ridging takes hold in the western US and it'll be even hotter in the interior valleys.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/gSvLmyx_DQk