San Juan Mountains Weather Forecast–Monday March 5, 2012–09:00

A surface high will dominate western Colorado today and a broad upper level ridge of high pressure begins to flatten as a trough along the Pacific NW deepens.  SW winds and high clouds will invade Tuesday with above normal temperatures and breezy conditions.

The trough comes onshore tonight, digging into Nevada on Tuesday bringing strong SW winds and high temps in the 50/60′s in the lower valleys of Utah and western Colorado.  All models show a closed low pinching off over Las Vegas late Tuesday evening then moving into Arizona by midday.

We should see snow showers by Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning as the low moves into NE Arizona negating storm orographics for the southern San Juans with an unfavorable wind shift to the east.  Because of this the snow production from the storm will be minimal.  The San Juans get shut off as the system drifts into southeast New Mexico Thursday into the weekend.  Looks like a drying atmosphere and slow warming temperatures through the weekend.