The temperature has reached 88 F this Thursday mid-afternoon in Steamboat Springs under mostly sunny but hazy skies. The wildfire smoke from California and the Pacific Northwest should diminish as an approaching cool front drops temperatures into the low eighties on Friday, clearing the smoke from the area and bringing thunderstorm chances that continue through Saturday.

A vortex of low pressure currently centered over central Alberta has disrupted the high pressure ridge over the West, and waves of energy traveling around the vortex will shift our winds to be from the west and southwest starting tonight. Compared to the high temperatures above our average of 84 F the last few days, high temperatures will drop into the comfortable low eighties starting Friday and continuing through the weekend. Fortunately, the NOAA smoke model, which I have started posting again, shows the smoke clearing from our area behind the first wave tonight.

The southern end of these waves will also introduce moisture to our area, bringing moderate shower chances lasting from this evening through Saturday. This includes nocturnal, or overnight showers for tonight and Friday nights that may last into the morning. A short-range weather forecast model predicts clearing later each morning, and any sun that appears will cook the atmosphere and contribute to stronger afternoon and evening thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday. The localized stronger varieties will be able to produce brief moderate to heavy rain, gusty winds and small hail.

Even as the Alberta vortex moves across the central Canadian Plains through the weekend, trailing energy from the Gulf of Alaska keeps a general trough of low pressure over the northern two-thirds of the West Coast through the weekend. Much drier air from the southwest is introduced to our area by Sunday for a very pleasant day with low storm chances.

As the Alberta storm continues to move eastward, the temporarily vanquished ridge of high pressure rebuilds over the West, bringing warmer temperatures in the mid-eighties with very little chance of precipitation to start the work week.

Precipitation amounts are generally underwhelming through Saturday and forecast to be around a tenth of an inch or two, save for the localized storms which are impossible to predict, especially this far in advance. So enjoy the cooldown, hope for some productive storms and check back to my next regularly scheduled weather narrative on Sunday afternoon.