NiteTime Temperature

[NebrCatMan]

A couple of buddies and myself are heading to Colorado around the 16th or 17th of Sept. We are going to set a base camp and hunt from there or may bivouac hunt if we get deep and want to stay in an area a few days. I seen where a few elk hunters are posting reports about their hunts. Anybody want to chime in about the temperatures during the day.........and nite..... at different elevations? Sounds like it is wet in a lot of places off and on in Colo. We are going to the Steamboat Springs area.........Mount Zirkel Wilderness....and maybe Rabbit Ears area. And CONGRATULATIONS to all who have hunted so far and tagged out..... even to those who just enjoyed a few days in God's great outdoors!

[mtnmutt]

Central CO mountains opening week at 10,700 ft: low around mid to high 30's and high reaching 70. Rain and thunderstorms afternoon to midnight. Wet is an understatement for opening week. Mornings have been dry.

Cold front moving into Colorado on Tuesday. High Temps will drop along Front Range by 20 degrees.

Front Range saw 90's Friday/Saturday. Dropping to high of 70 on Tuesday. Not sure if the cold front will push much into the mountain. Sometimes it lags and takes 1-2 days before it pushes into the mountains and sometimes the cold front doesn't make it over the first range into the mountains.

Here is an example of NOAA. I use it for my mountain forecast at the elevation I will be hunting. It is usually pretty accurate for 2-3 days. Use the right side map to reposition to your spot and elevation. You may also look at historical data for the area.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.ph ... iy_OT-0zms

The Additional Forecasts and Information: Zone information is also sometimes helpful.
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=COZ004

Good Luck with your hunt.

[NebrCatMan]

Hey thanks a whole bunch Mtnmutt.....clicked on them and played with each site till I kinda figured it out. I am almost 57 years old and never really had anyone teach me about computers. Just got my own about 3 years ago and am still learning about what they can do...... if you know how to steer thru them. Just gotta figure out how to add those sites to my favorite toolbar.......... probably be easier getting a huge bull than figuring that one out ........... Thanks Again!

[Bullnuts]

We're hunting south central CO at 10,500. Night temps are WARM and we're getting up to 47 degrees at 0500. Daytime temps are approaching 80 and there are bugs EVERYWHERE. Got stung by a yellow jacket on Thursday, right behind the knee and can't wait for the freeze to come to finally shut those suckers down for the year. Opening week we had a lot of rain in the first couple of days but now it's just sporadic showers that don't stick around long.

[Vanish]

Watch out for closed roads in the area.

[Bullnuts]

Watch out for closed roads in the area.

Yep!

[NebrCatMan]

Are the roads possibly closed on account of all the heavy rains ...like to the east of this area....( Buffalo pass...Rabbit ears.... Mount Zirkel) or for some other reason.....trees down... etc? That's a lot of water Boulder received. How is everyone's hunts doing with all that rain?

[bnsafe]

rain finally ran me out of the mnts. creeks were hard to cross. pretty miserable. everything has that damp feeling rather your wet or not. hopefully it will quit sometime this year.

[mtnmutt]

For a current list of closed CO roads (not Forest Service roads): cotrip.org

Most closed roads due to the rains are along front range.

Although the mountains have been drenched for 2 weeks now, they did not experience the high volume in the same 24 hrs as the Front Range.

I was out in the rain yesterday and did not encounter any elk. Headed out again this morning in the rain. Looking forward to dry hunting late next week.

[Bullnuts]

Are the roads possibly closed on account of all the heavy rains ...like to the east of this area....( Buffalo pass...Rabbit ears.... Mount Zirkel) or for some other reason.....trees down... etc? That's a lot of water Boulder received. How is everyone's hunts doing with all that rain?

Roads are washed out everywhere and it's the ones in the mountains that aren't marked that will get you. Lots of rain has been piling up and some of the forest roads have trees over them and lots of soft spots that used to be firm enough to drive across - basically quick sand. Just be safe and check first if you think an area looks unstable.

[BRazz]

I'd recommend calling somebody in the area you're headed - either the forest service, the DOW, the BLM, etc. - to see how much rain your area has gotten. Not all parts of CO have been hit as hard as the news may indicate...

[mtnmutt]

Rockslides had closed I 70 westbound at Georgetown and there was also an issue at Floyd hill located just outside denver.

Wed night, I got into the mtns before they closed US 24 (below waldo canyon burn scar). It has been sporadically closed since wed night.

On the plus side, there are hardly any hunters out in the woods. The downside is that the wind is all swirly even in the mornings. I can't call an elk in to save my life. I have had the woods to myself the last 2 days. I don't know how to do the estrus buzz with a mouth reed.

[Vanish]

Some roads are also closed due to beetle kill pine removal.

[Camo]

How are the roads around Montrose area?

[mtnmutt]

Most roads west of the continental divide are doing ok.

cotrip.org is experiencing an outage. Dial 5-1-1 for a current list of state road closures or Google for your town's official website. Most are trying to update road closures frequently.

[mtnmutt]

For forest service road closures call the nearest forest service district office. You can search by your national forest name to find the district offices.