It doesn’t happen often in the Front Range, and a city like Cheyenne, but it did early this week. The models did really well with the temperature forecasts, and forecasts were generally pretty good. If there was one thing that everyone got wrong, it was the clouds southeast Wyoming saw overnight. On the back of a strong upper level jet, layers of clouds developed, abutting the higher terrain and trapping warmer air overnight, leading to low temperatures that were warmer than forecast lows both on Monday and Tuesday. Weatherbug was undeterred, and collected the best forecast. Actuals: Monday – High 42, Low 32 Tuesday – High 54, Low 31
Strange that this is the furthest east we’ve been in weeks, isn’t it?
At 1053AM, MT, Cheyenne was reporting a temperature of 50 degrees with sunny skies and a brisk northwest wind of about 25mph in gusts. The off-mountain winds are certainly helping to bolster the warm up this afternoon. There was a weak ridge building in the front range as well, but most of the warm up at this time is mechanical in nature. The upper level pattern is quite static, and a glance at the jet pattern looks to remain unchanged through the beginning of the work week. This means a tight thermal gradient just to the northeast of Cheyenne, which will result and a continuing brisk wind in the region. If the wind continues to be more westerly than northerly, Cheyenne will also be able to sustain some warmer temperatures. Tomorrow – Partly cloudy, High 40, Low 26 Tuesday – Mostly cloudy but warmer, High 52, Low 30
TWC: Tomorrow – Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 43, Low 27 Tuesday – Sunny skies High 55, Low 29
AW: Tomorrow – Partly sunny High 43, Low 26 Tuesday – Mostly sunny and milder High 55, Low 28
NWS: Tomorrow – A chance of flurries before 11am, then a chance of sprinkles. Partly sunny High 40, Low 22 Tuesday – Sunny, High 54, Low 23
WB: Tomorrow – Mostly cloudy, Colder, High 42, Low 28 Tuesday – Sunny, not as cool, High 55, Low 30
WN: Tomorrow – Partly cloudy, High 40, Low 23 Tuesday – Mostly sunny, High 53, Low 24
FIO: Tomorrow – Partly cloudy throughout the day. High 43, Low 26 Tuesday – Clear throughout the day. High 53, Low 29
A look at the satellite shows some striations in the clouds north of Cheyenne, which are caused by the strength of the jet through those clouds.
