picture above: January 08- slide out of the most northeast facing bowl on Gothic Mountain that split and ran to the river in two places but stopped there.
Today's weather, Friday, March 31: cloudy with light snow overnight, picking up at times and then stopping a couple hours before sunrise with steady, moderate wind. Snow starts back up an hour or so after sunrise with off and on wind, picking up as the morning goes on with steady light to moderate snow, then generally light in the afternoon as the wind lets up a bit.
Live Station Cameras
The Station Camera, below, is located at the weather station
--Current view: Gothic Mountain
--The windy.com web page has taken the camera put it on a fast 24-hour run-through. You can clink on the station camera to see it.
-- usually if there is little to no visibility the camera will focus on the nearby road, the snow board, the river or other close views
-- you can back track on the view by up to 12 hours by using the time bar at the bottom of the feed
-- there is sometimes a delay or a slow connection. If so, you can go directly to the YouTube page by clicking here
--Current view: Gothic Mountain
--The windy.com web page has taken the camera put it on a fast 24-hour run-through. You can clink on the station camera to see it.
-- usually if there is little to no visibility the camera will focus on the nearby road, the snow board, the river or other close views
-- you can back track on the view by up to 12 hours by using the time bar at the bottom of the feed
-- there is sometimes a delay or a slow connection. If so, you can go directly to the YouTube page by clicking here
The Station Camera, below, is located just north of the station
Current view: the East River below the station
--'Rustler's Gulch' as labeled, is really just the beginning of that area, which extends behind Avery Mountain
--The windy.com web page has taken the camera on a fast 24-hour run-through. You can clink on the up-valley camera link to see it
--You can go directly to the camera on the YouTube page by clicking here
Today's weather data for Gothic, March 31, 2023, as of 6:20 p.m. MDT
Low temperature: -11ºC (12ºF)
High temperature: -5ºC (23ºF)
Current temperature: -6½ºC (20ºF)
Cloud cover: overcast
Wind: 3-6 W (strongest wind between ground and 45,000 feet is 71 mph NW at 24,000 feet elevation)
Precipitation: sunset March 30 to sunrise March 31: with 17 cm (6½") new snow containing 0.57" of water content, 0.00" rain
Precipitation sunrise to sunset today: with 10 cm (4") new snow containing 0.29" water content, 0.00" rain
Precipitation today, currently: very light snow, with 27 cm (10½") new snow containing 0.88" water, 0.00" rain
Current snowpack: 243 cm (95½")
Water content of snowpack, March 26 (to the nearest ½"): 28"
Precipitation data this snow year (starting September 01) as of sunrise, March 31
Winters deepest snowpack: 246 cm (97") on March 22
Total snowfall this winter: 825 cm (324")
Total water content from snow (SWE) this winter: 27.50"
Total rain during this snow-year: 2.56"
Total precipitation this snow-year: 30.06"
Low temperature: -11ºC (12ºF)
High temperature: -5ºC (23ºF)
Current temperature: -6½ºC (20ºF)
Cloud cover: overcast
Wind: 3-6 W (strongest wind between ground and 45,000 feet is 71 mph NW at 24,000 feet elevation)
Precipitation: sunset March 30 to sunrise March 31: with 17 cm (6½") new snow containing 0.57" of water content, 0.00" rain
Precipitation sunrise to sunset today: with 10 cm (4") new snow containing 0.29" water content, 0.00" rain
Precipitation today, currently: very light snow, with 27 cm (10½") new snow containing 0.88" water, 0.00" rain
Current snowpack: 243 cm (95½")
Water content of snowpack, March 26 (to the nearest ½"): 28"
Precipitation data this snow year (starting September 01) as of sunrise, March 31
Winters deepest snowpack: 246 cm (97") on March 22
Total snowfall this winter: 825 cm (324")
Total water content from snow (SWE) this winter: 27.50"
Total rain during this snow-year: 2.56"
Total precipitation this snow-year: 30.06"
Soil Temperature and Moisture Content for March 31:
For complete data go to the soil temperature and moisture page, which was last updated through March 29. There still has been little change in soil temperature, and even less so in moisture content, for a few months now. It will change rapidly once we get sustained clear and warm weather but for now nothing goes on.
At 5 cm (2") below surface: soil temperature average 32.1ºF, steady; soil moisture content 14%, steady
At 10 cm (4") below surface: soil temperature average 32.5ºF, steady; soil moisture content 14%, steady
At 20 cm (8") below surface: soil temperature average 32.7ºF, steady; soil moisture content 16%, steady
At 50 cm (20") below surface: soil temperature average 34.1ºF, steady; soil moisture content 10%, steady
For complete data go to the soil temperature and moisture page, which was last updated through March 29. There still has been little change in soil temperature, and even less so in moisture content, for a few months now. It will change rapidly once we get sustained clear and warm weather but for now nothing goes on.
At 5 cm (2") below surface: soil temperature average 32.1ºF, steady; soil moisture content 14%, steady
At 10 cm (4") below surface: soil temperature average 32.5ºF, steady; soil moisture content 14%, steady
At 20 cm (8") below surface: soil temperature average 32.7ºF, steady; soil moisture content 16%, steady
At 50 cm (20") below surface: soil temperature average 34.1ºF, steady; soil moisture content 10%, steady
What is New and other Notes: added March to the long term snow and the long term water from snow tables- and it certainly stands out.
With a few days of clearing came cold mornings with record lows on March 18 and 19. But then the snow hit hard with the most snowfall on a given day on March 22 and the deepest snowpack on record for March 22- 24 and again on March 27. Then the cold returned with a record lowest daily high temperature on March 25 and record lows on March 26- 28 as March has been more like deep winter than the coming of spring.
The avalanche page has been deleted as there are much better resources for that. Go to the Crested Butte Avalanche center page for more information.
For a detailed hour by hour weather forecast for Gothic go to the Colorado Avalanche Information Gothic weather forecast page.
With a few days of clearing came cold mornings with record lows on March 18 and 19. But then the snow hit hard with the most snowfall on a given day on March 22 and the deepest snowpack on record for March 22- 24 and again on March 27. Then the cold returned with a record lowest daily high temperature on March 25 and record lows on March 26- 28 as March has been more like deep winter than the coming of spring.
The avalanche page has been deleted as there are much better resources for that. Go to the Crested Butte Avalanche center page for more information.
For a detailed hour by hour weather forecast for Gothic go to the Colorado Avalanche Information Gothic weather forecast page.
"If you want the rainbow, you got to put up with the rain" -Steven Wright
"The wind shows us how close to the edge we are". -Joan Didion
"Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together". ~Vista M. Kelly
"Only the mediocre are always at their best" -Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley (Al Franken)
"The wind shows us how close to the edge we are". -Joan Didion
"Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look what they can do when they stick together". ~Vista M. Kelly
"Only the mediocre are always at their best" -Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley (Al Franken)
Bird sightings on March 31 (those seen or heard have √ next to them)
Gray jay √ Stellar Jay √ American Crow √ Magpie Mountain Chickadee Black Capped Chickadee Pine Grosbeak Gray crowned Rosy Finch √ White Breasted Nuthatch Red Breasted Nuthatch Hairy Woodpecker √ White Tailed Ptarmigan Saw Whet Owl Dark Eyed Junco Northen Flicker √ |
Animals on March 31: (v= visual siting, a= audible, t= track)
tree squirrel- red fox- deer mouse- long tailed weasel- short tailed weasel- snowshoe hare- pine marten- vole- shrew- moose- coyote- |
Some pictures of the area:
Gothic Weather Page Index:
Home page (this page- if you lived here you'd be home already)
Current Year, daily Description- the 2023 daily written description
2022 weather description- daily written summary for the calendar year 2022
2021 weather description- daily written summary for the calendar year 2021
2020 weather description- daily written summary for the calendar year 2020
2019 weather description- daily written summary for the calendar year 2019
2018 weather description- daily written summary for the calendar year 2018
2017 weather description- daily written summary for the calendar year 2017
2016 weather description- the last months of 2016 a written out daily weather summary description
notes on this site: explains what things mean and sampling methods, as well as a short video of the data site
contact- where you can send requests or suggestions about this web site from. Please do. (you don't write, you don't call. Was it something I said?)
Data: summary page and description of data
Daily data, current year- daily weather data for the current year
2022 daily data- daily weather data for the 2022 calendar year.
2021 daily data- daily weather data for the 2021 calendar year.
2020 daily data- daily weather data for the 2020 calendar year.
2019 Daily data- daily weather data for the 2019 calendar year.
2018 daily data- daily weather data for the 2018 calendar year.
2017 daily data- daily weather data for the 2017 calendar year.
2016 daily data- daily weather data for the 2016 calendar year.
weekly weather summary- the past weeks weather summary and this winter's weather compared to the past 46 winters.
long term snow- snow totals month by month, and snow year by snow year, since fall, 1974 in both centimeters and inches
long term water- month by month and snow year by snow year water content of the snowfall
ground cover- the dates and number of consecutive days of snow on the ground for each winter, as well as date of snow melt drop under 100 and 50 cm
soil temperature and moisture- temperature information from underground at four different depths as well as the moisture content of the soil
daily high temperature => freezing- this table shows the number of days in each winter month over the years in which the daily high reached or surpassed freezing, the temperature when snow would melt
Records: this area will have info on the number of records, such as most snow on a given date, highest temperature and so on
records by winter: showing each winter and the number of record highs, lows, days with most snow etc. since 1974 as well as other info pertinent to that winter.
record summary table: a quick-look summary table of the records by winter
Monthly Data: The title page has all summarized data for each month for November through May starting in the fall of 1974 up until the current listed chronologically. The individual months below of June through October start from the 2000-2001 winter to current only, except for snow totals.
September- summary for September, 2000-2022
October- summary for October, 2000-2022
November- summary for November, 1974-2022
December- summary for December, 1974-2022
January- summary for January, 1975-2023
February- summary for February, 1975-2023
March- summaries for March, 1975-2022
April- summary for April, 1975-2022
May- summary for May, 1975-2022
June- summary for June, 2000-2022
July- summary for July, 2001-2022
August- summary for August, 2001-2022
Other Info- just a heading page for the underlying categories
animals- notes on siting and activity of winter animal life, updated March 17
avalanches- a general overlook of the snow conditions around Gothic
photos and videos- an archive of photos that were on various site pages (in progress- well, actually little there to see)
ski and road- mostly general ski conditions for the area to and around Gothic, though in early and late winter road opening becomes important. Last update January 19.
links- links to other web sites people may find helpful
↑ ↓ → º ½
Home page (this page- if you lived here you'd be home already)
Current Year, daily Description- the 2023 daily written description
2022 weather description- daily written summary for the calendar year 2022
2021 weather description- daily written summary for the calendar year 2021
2020 weather description- daily written summary for the calendar year 2020
2019 weather description- daily written summary for the calendar year 2019
2018 weather description- daily written summary for the calendar year 2018
2017 weather description- daily written summary for the calendar year 2017
2016 weather description- the last months of 2016 a written out daily weather summary description
notes on this site: explains what things mean and sampling methods, as well as a short video of the data site
contact- where you can send requests or suggestions about this web site from. Please do. (you don't write, you don't call. Was it something I said?)
Data: summary page and description of data
Daily data, current year- daily weather data for the current year
2022 daily data- daily weather data for the 2022 calendar year.
2021 daily data- daily weather data for the 2021 calendar year.
2020 daily data- daily weather data for the 2020 calendar year.
2019 Daily data- daily weather data for the 2019 calendar year.
2018 daily data- daily weather data for the 2018 calendar year.
2017 daily data- daily weather data for the 2017 calendar year.
2016 daily data- daily weather data for the 2016 calendar year.
weekly weather summary- the past weeks weather summary and this winter's weather compared to the past 46 winters.
long term snow- snow totals month by month, and snow year by snow year, since fall, 1974 in both centimeters and inches
long term water- month by month and snow year by snow year water content of the snowfall
ground cover- the dates and number of consecutive days of snow on the ground for each winter, as well as date of snow melt drop under 100 and 50 cm
soil temperature and moisture- temperature information from underground at four different depths as well as the moisture content of the soil
daily high temperature => freezing- this table shows the number of days in each winter month over the years in which the daily high reached or surpassed freezing, the temperature when snow would melt
Records: this area will have info on the number of records, such as most snow on a given date, highest temperature and so on
records by winter: showing each winter and the number of record highs, lows, days with most snow etc. since 1974 as well as other info pertinent to that winter.
record summary table: a quick-look summary table of the records by winter
Monthly Data: The title page has all summarized data for each month for November through May starting in the fall of 1974 up until the current listed chronologically. The individual months below of June through October start from the 2000-2001 winter to current only, except for snow totals.
September- summary for September, 2000-2022
October- summary for October, 2000-2022
November- summary for November, 1974-2022
December- summary for December, 1974-2022
January- summary for January, 1975-2023
February- summary for February, 1975-2023
March- summaries for March, 1975-2022
April- summary for April, 1975-2022
May- summary for May, 1975-2022
June- summary for June, 2000-2022
July- summary for July, 2001-2022
August- summary for August, 2001-2022
Other Info- just a heading page for the underlying categories
animals- notes on siting and activity of winter animal life, updated March 17
avalanches- a general overlook of the snow conditions around Gothic
photos and videos- an archive of photos that were on various site pages (in progress- well, actually little there to see)
ski and road- mostly general ski conditions for the area to and around Gothic, though in early and late winter road opening becomes important. Last update January 19.
links- links to other web sites people may find helpful
↑ ↓ → º ½
Thank you to Greg of the Desert Research Institute and Brian of Slopeside Technology for their support in maintaining instrumentation. Also to Dan Jones for equipment assistance and station set-up, and for David Inouye and Art Mears and for advice, input and data analysis.