MD 0174 CONCERNING SNOW SQUALL FOR WESTERN AND CENTRAL CO…NORTHWEST INTO NORTH-CENTRAL NM…SOUTHEAST UT…NORTHEAST AZ
Mesoscale Discussion 0174
NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
0926 AM CST Wed Feb 22 2023
Areas affected...Western and central CO...northwest into
north-central NM...southeast UT...northeast AZ
Concerning...Snow Squall
Valid 221526Z - 221930Z
SUMMARY...Increasing snow squall potential during the next few
hours. Rapid visibility reductions with strong gusts and bursts of
heavy snow are expected.
DISCUSSION...A broad mid-level trough accompanied by strong
deep-layer flow is digging into the western US, resulting in a
developing surface cyclone. Meanwhile, a related cold front is
pushing southeastward through south-central Utah into central
Arizona. Along/ahead of the front, short-term RAP forecast soundings
show steep low-level lapse rates and ~100 J/kg SBCAPE. This
low-level conditional instability, coupled with strong low-level
flow (35-50+ kt in the lowest 1 km per regional VWP) will support
snow squall conditions. Also, CAM guidance depicts banded snow along
the front (aided by the strong linear forcing), and this band may
produce rapid visibility reductions in bursts of heavy snow given
the favorable environmental conditions. Expect this band to move
southeastward through early afternoon, approaching the I-25 corridor
around early afternoon.
..Supinie/Weinman.. 02/22/2023
...Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product...
ATTN...WFO...PUB...BOU...ABQ...GJT...TWC...FGZ...SLC...
LAT...LON 37951082 38721068 39841027 40320917 40690748 40590689
40100616 39240533 38640482 37740454 36820452 35780469
34790544 34060655 33590789 33550905 33871046 34681099
35411102 36671105 37951082
