March 11, 2021 – Yes, there will be a “Swan Song” to close out the final days of winter. And it’s going to be quite a winter wallop. Meteorologists predict two to three feet of snow for central Colorado and southeast Wyoming over the weekend. Snow will also fall in parts of Utah and Arizona.

National Weather Service (NWS) 2:54 a.m. EST bulletin (March 11, 2021)

The following is part of this morning’s NWS weather bulletin:
“A large upper-level low spinning above the southwestern U.S. will be the catalyst for an upcoming significant winter storm across the Central Rockies and central High Plains. Before the system fully develops this weekend, heavy snow could fall across the higher elevations of the Intermountain West and Southwest. Portions of Utah and Arizona could see over six inches of snow by Saturday morning. Heavy mountain snow and lower elevation heavy rain will also remain possible across southern California through Friday. As the upper-level low moves eastward, an area of low pressure is expected to develop across the central High Plains on Friday and produce heavy snow across central Colorado and southeast Wyoming this weekend. Light snow is forecast to develop Friday evening across the region; however, much of the winter weather impacts are forecast to occur later in the day on Saturday and throughout much of Sunday. Widespread travel impacts are likely. Winter Storm Watches have been issued and include southeast Wyoming, northeast and north-central Colorado, as well as western Nebraska.”

National Weather Forecast map for March 11-12, 2021

Check back tomorrow for the new NWS bulletin and national forecast map to see the change in the weather systems that are moving and combining to form the winter wallop!

UPDATE: March 12, 2021 (6:45 a.m. EST)

Weather Forecast Map: March 12-13, 2021

National Weather Service (NWS) 3:49 a.m. EST Bulletin (March 12, 2021)
The following is a portion of the March 12, 2021 forecast:

“The stage is set for a significant winter storm to impact the central Rockies and the central High Plains as a cold upper-level low moving across the Southwest interacts with a stationary front across the central Plains during the next couple of days. The stationary front has lately become the focus for severe thunderstorms and locally heavy rain across the central Plains to the mid-Mississippi Valley as moisture from the Gulf of Mexico is lifted along the boundary. Meanwhile, the cold upper low moving into the Southwest will bring higher elevation snows from the Sierra Nevada to the Four-Corners region today, before ingesting additional Gulf moisture and then dumping more heavy rain again from the central Plains to the mid-Mississippi Valley today into early Saturday. As the weekend progresses, increasing interaction between the upper low and the stationary front is forecast to bring a significant winter storm across the central Rockies and nearby High Plains. Snowfall amounts of a couple of feet are quite possible along the Front Range of Colorado and Wyoming, while more than a foot is possible over the central High Plains. In addition, increasingly strong and gusty winds are expected to accompany the heavy snow by Sunday as the storm system is forecast to intensify more rapidly. Widespread travel impacts are likely as strong winds combined with snowfall rates of one to two inches per hour could produce near blizzard conditions. Winter Storm Watches and Warnings have been issued for the central Rockies to the central High Plains. Meanwhile, strong to severe thunderstorms are forecast to move across the southern Plains during the weekend ahead of a strong cold front associated with the intensifying low pressure system.”

National Weather Forecast Map for March 13-14, 2021

National Weather Forecast Map for March 14-15, 2021

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Where is heavy snow predicted to fall with the storm?

2. What is the Four-Corners area?

3. Where have Winter Storm Watches and Warnings been issued as of March 12, 2021?

INQUIRY QUESTIONS

1. Compare the March 11-12 forecast map with the March 12-13 forecast map. How does the text from the NWS bulletins support the maps? Write a summary.

2. On the forecast maps, find your state. What type of weather is predicted for your area?

3. From the March 12 forecast, what two systems are going to be responsible for the storm?

4. Track the storm through the four forecast maps. Locate the areas with the heaviest snwowfall as noted on the last two maps. Are those the areas predicted to have the heaviest snowfall before the storm?