Outlier Mode over North America

The atmosphere is well into outlier mode over North America at present, contributing to high-impact weather over portions of the United States.

The situation over the past couple of days is highlighted below.  A slow moving closed-low over the U.S. southwest is sandwiched between ridges along the west coast and over the eastern U.S.

High-impact weather associated with this pattern includes a major snowstorm along Colorado's Front Range on April 16 and 17.  

Snowfall totals reached over 4 feet in the foothills west of Denver.

Source: NWS Denver/Boulder

The big winner in preliminary reports appears to be Pinecliffe in the foothills southeast of Boulder where a trained spotter reports 51.3 inches with a water content of 3.55 inches.

This morning, flooding is affecting the Greater Houston Area where as of this morning as much as 15 inches of rain has fallen in the past 24 hours.

Source: Harris County Flood Warning System

As of 5:20 AM, the Houston International Airport set a monthly record for daily rainfall with 8.85" (the old record was 8.16"), with more rain since falling.  The flooding event underway at present is quite serious.  Our best to everyone in the Houston area.  

In northern Utah, impacts of this high-amplitude pattern are comparatively benign.  A bit of mountain snow late last week to make for decent spring skiing and some modest easterly downslope winds late yesterday and overnight producing peak gusts of 47 mph in Farmington and 44 mph at the University of Utah.