7:00 AM | Benign weather pattern this week across the southern Rockies

6-Day Forecast

Today

Partly sunny, cold, highs in the mid-to-upper 40’s

Tonight

Partly cloudy, cold, lows in the upper 20’s

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, cool, mid 50’s

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy, cold, low 30’s

Thursday

Mostly sunny, cool, low 50’s

Friday

Mainly sunny, mild, mid 50’s

Saturday

Mainly sunny, cool, near 50

Sunday

Partly sunny, cool, near 50

Discussion

Upper level high pressure ridging has set up across the interior west and this will keep rather benign weather conditions in the southern Rockies for the remainder of the week.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/UoMD6NGZemk

7:00 AM | Storm system could bring us some rain for Turkey Day

6-Day Forecast

Today

Mostly sunny, seasonably cool, highs near 70 degrees along coastal sections

Tonight

Partly cloudy, cool, lows in the low-to-mid 50’s

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, breezy, seasonably cool, upper 60’s

Wednesday Night

Partly cloudy, cool, mid 50’s

Thursday

Mostly cloudy skies, cool, showers likely, mid 60’s

Friday

Mostly cloudy, cool, breezy, chance for more showers, mid 60’s

Saturday

Mostly sunny, seasonably cool, near 70

Sunday

Mostly sunny, seasonably cool, near 70

Discussion

A storm system will move into the region by Thanksgiving Day and this will increase our chances for rain as it stays on the cool side of normal. Warmer and drier weather will return for the weekend.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/UoMD6NGZemk

12:45 PM | The day of reckoning has come for Comet ISON

[Image courtesy spaceweather.com taken yesterday from the Canary Islands, eastern Atlantic Ocean]

Discussion

On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, Comet ISON will make its closest approach to the sun flying through the sun’s atmosphere little more than a million kilometers above the solar surface. At closest approach, the core of ISON could rise by as much as 5000° Fahrenheit – a life or death challenge for an icy comet. No one knows if it will survive.

But if ISON makes it out alive, it could provide a great show to the naked eye and possibly even live up to its billing as the “Comet of the Century”. On Friday, professional and amateur astronomers will be searching for the comet as it comes around the sun and then between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it will fly over the North Pole – potentially, a very nice holiday comet.

What makes ISON quite special is that it is a lone traveler originating from a giant population of comets at the very edge of the solar system – the furthest reaches of the sun’s gravity. The distance from the Earth to the sun is an “astronomical unit” or AU. Pluto, as an example, is 40 AU from the sun. Comet ISON began its journey 100,000 AU away from us in a place called the Oort cloud which contains billions of icy, rocky objects. Detected comets from the Oort cloud are quite rare – probably only a handful per century.

For all of human history – at least a million years according to NASA – this comet has been heading towards the sun. We’ll know beginning this Friday, after coming within a hair of the sun, if Comet ISON survives and is ready to put on a great show for us during the month of December.

7:00 AM | All in all, looks like a rather benign week in the southern Rockies

6-Day Forecast

Today

Mostly cloudy, cold, highs in the lower 40’s

Tonight

Partly cloudy, cold, lows in the mid 20’s

Tuesday

Mostly sunny, chilly, upper 40's

Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy, cold, upper 20's

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, not as chilly, mid 50’s

Thursday

Mainly sunny, cool, low 50’s

Friday

Mainly sunny, milder, mid 50's

Saturday

Mainly sunny, cool, near 50

Discussion

Upper level high pressure ridging will set up this week across the interior west and this will promote a gradual warming trend in the southern Rockies. Moisture is quite sparse in the western US and the result could be precipitation-free weather right through the week.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/eAsY8gJQzNU

7:00 AM | High pressure ridging in the western US keeps us dry for the next few days

6-Day Forecast

Today

Mostly sunny, seasonably cool, highs in the upper 60’s along coastal sections

Tonight

Partly cloudy, cool, lows in the low-to-mid 50’s

Tuesday

Mostly sunny, breezy, seasonably cool, upper 60’s

Tuesday Night

Partly cloudy, cool, low 50’s

Wednesday

Mostly sunny skies, cool, mid 60’s

Thursday

Mostly cloudy, cool, breezy, chance for showers, mid 60’s

Friday

Mostly sunny, seasonably cool, near 70

Saturday

Mostly sunny, seasonably cool, near 70

Discussion

High pressure ridging in the upper atmosphere will control the weather this week across much of the western region of the country. Dry and seasonably cool conditions should be prevalent in southern California for the next few days.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/eAsY8gJQzNU

7:00 AM | Steady snow threat departs, but the bitter cold remains

6-Day Forecast

Today

Mostly cloudy with the threat for snow ending early today, bitter cold for this time of year, highs struggle to reach the freezing mark

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, brutally cold, maybe a snow shower or two, lows not far from 10 degrees

Saturday

Partly sunny, still very cold, mid-to-upper 30’s

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy, very cold, near 20

Sunday

Mostly sunny, somewhat milder, mid-to-upper 40’s

Monday

Mainly sunny, cool, near 50

Tuesday

Partly sunny, cool, low 50’s

Wednesday

Partly sunny, mild, mid 50’s

Discussion

The threat for steady snow will depart this morning, but the bitter cold air mass remains. Temperatures today will struggle to reach the freezing mark and then will drop back to near 10 degrees in the overnight hours. Modification in temperatures will take place later this weekend and during the early part of next week with 50+ degrees likely for afternoon highs.

7:00 AM | Gradual improvement as upper level low departs the region

6-Day Forecast

Today

Clouds and a lingering shower early today then becoming partly sunny, breezy and cool, highs in the mid 60’s

Tonight

Partly cloudy, cool, lows in the low 50’s

Saturday

Mostly sunny, breezy, cool, mid-to-upper 60’s

Saturday Night

Partly cloudy, cool, low 50’s

Sunday

Mostly sunny skies, cool, upper 60’s

Monday

Mostly sunny, cool, upper 60’s

Tuesday

Mostly sunny, cool, near 70

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, cool, near 70

Discussion

An upper level low pressure system will pull away from the region as the weekend approaches and high pressure will develop by early next week allowing for dry and slightly warmer conditions.

7:00 AM | **Bitter cold air for this time of year with overnight lows dropping to near 10 degrees; additional snow accumulations likely today and early tonight**

6-Day Forecast

Today

Cloudy, cold, breezy with snow, additional accumulations on the order of 1-3 inches, temperatures continue to slowly drop during the day into the lower teens

Tonight

Snow likely in the evening with only minor additional accumulations, breezy and bitterly cold with lows by morning near 10 degrees

Friday

Partly sunny, very cold, low 30’s

Friday Night

Partly cloudy, very cold, low teens

Saturday

Mostly sunny, cold, near 40

Sunday

Mainly sunny, not as cold, near 50

Monday

Partly sunny, slightly milder, low 50’s

Tuesday

Partly sunny, mild, mid 50’s

Discussion

Snow and much colder temperatures are impacting the region today as a strong Canadian cold front has passed through the region. Temperatures will continue to drop slowly today reaching the lower teens by nightfall at the same time snow generates some additional accumulations in and around the Denver metro region on the order of 1-3 inches. Lows late tonight should be near the 10 degree mark and highs on Friday will struggle to reach the freezing mark which is way below normal for this time of year (normal high now at Denver is 50 degrees).

Video

httpv://youtu.be/RNdd8AdlstQ

7:00 AM | *An upper level low drops into the region generating unsettled and cool conditions*

6-Day Forecast

Today

Mostly cloudy with showers likely and possibly a couple of thunderstorms, cool, highs in the low 60’s

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, still the chance for showers and thunderstorms, cool, lows in the low 50’s

Friday

Becoming partly sunny, breezy, cool, maybe a lingering shower or two, mid 60’s

Friday Night

Mostly cloudy, cool, low 50’s

Saturday

Mostly sunny skies, cool, upper 60’s

Sunday

Mostly sunny, cool, mid-to-upper 60’s

Monday

Mostly sunny, cool, upper 60’s

Tuesday

Mostly sunny, cool, upper 60’s

Discussion

An upper level low pressure system will drop southward towards our region today and this will bring showers and possible thunderstorms as the atmosphere destabilizes. The unsettled and cool conditions will improve somewhat over the weekend as offshore flow will generate slightly milder and dry weather for the area.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/RNdd8AdlstQ

7:00 AM | **Much colder air moves in overnight and accumulating snow will accompany it through the day on Thursday**

6-Day Forecast

Today

Partly sunny, mild, highs in the upper 50’s

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, becoming windy and turning much colder, snow is likely after midnight and accumulations of 1-3 inches are possible by morning, lows in the low 20’s

Thursday

Cloudy, windy, very cold with more snow likely on the order of an additional 1-3 inches, temperatures dropping through the 20's and into the teens

Thursday Night

Cloudy, windy, brutally cold with snow ending, lows by morning near 10 degrees

Friday

Mostly sunny, very cold, low 30’s

Saturday

Mainly sunny, cold, upper 30’s

Sunday

Partly sunny, milder, near 50

Monday

Partly sunny, mild, low 50’s

Discussion

Much colder air is on the way and it looks like it will be accompanied by accumulating snow with total storm accumulations possible between late tonight and tomorrow night on the order of 2-6 inches in and around the Denver metro region. Temperatures today will climb to mild levels, but after dropping into the low 20’s in the overnight hours, they will continue to drop on Thursday into the teens with accumulating snow likely. Very cold conditions will persist on Friday and Saturday, but dry weather should prevail on those days.

Video

httpv://youtu.be/FD8NHWZrW6w