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from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center’s Daily Backcountry forecast for today 14 December 2011:

“…The next low pressure system digging south from the Pacific Northwest look less impressive for Colorado as it approaches.  Models are starting to agree, and indicate the system will split around us. A closed low will pinch off and dig well to our south, and the northern jet and associated moisture will pass well to our north. Unfortunately this means Colorado stays mostly high and dry into the weekend.”

This has been a recurring theme here in northern Colorado since Mid November’s start of ski season.  While our brethren in Silverton, Purgatory and Wolf Creek have been the big winners this early season, fresh pow has been somewhat scarce for the rest of the state.

GOES WEST - Colorado sitting in the "Col"

The weather patterns and storm tracks we have been seeing to date have been splitting in two, right around Colorado in the middle … in the “Col” as forecasters put it, using a term most known to climbers and mountaineers for the low spot in between two high ridges, or the saddle.  In meteorology terms, a Col means the point of lowest pressure between two anticyclones or the point of highest pressure between two cyclones.  nerdy?

The dreaded description From the National Weather Service:

THE FORECAST AREA WILL SIT UNDER A
COL IN THE SYNOPTIC SCALE SPLIT FLOW. WE WILL REMAIN POSITIONED
BETWEEN THE NORTHERN BRANCH NORTH-WESTERLIES AND A STRONG CUTOFF LOW
OVER NORTHERN BAJA.

In this case it’s a low spot of snowfall probability caused by  high pressure -  putting the “Col” in Colorado recently, and well, since high pressure usually means “NO SNOW”… it has a tendency to make powderhounds and dirtbags from Monarch north a bit irritable.    Aspen, you scored nicely, so keep on living the dream.

Never fear, we are only halfway through December…. right??

PRAY4SNOW!

Thanks to: Colorado Powder Forecast and Summit Voice Daily for inspiring this post.