(SOUTHERN COLORADO) — Early Friday morning, Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow in Pennsylvania. This means Phil predicted an early Spring across the United States.
Less than 12 hours later, a snow storm hit Colorado.
This particular storm had all of the chemical makeup necessary to bring a pretty healthy amount of snow to the region. It was also well placed to provide favorable upslope across the Rocky Mountains.
Upslope flow is a term widely recognized across Colorado as it is most commonly associated with our mountains. Wind, or flow, from a low-pressure system spins up over the region and backs into the higher terrain. The counter-clockwise flow brings in wind from the east and pushes it west. When the wind meets the mountains, it is forced straight upwards – encouraging enhanced precipitation.
See if you can spot the counter-clockwise flow in the video below:
This loop of the entire system helps highlight how these storm systems often interact with our geography. The Groundhog Day storm began late Friday and didn’t fully wrap up until Sunday morning.