Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Ideal weather is expected for a Steamboat Springs weekend that includes a Triple Crown Sports tournament, the first downtown Farmers Market of the summer, and events like the Cayuse Classic, ReTree Steamboat and the Northwest Family Ranch Rodeo.

Today’s high temperature is expected to push the thermometer to 70 degrees, with an overnight low of 36. It will warm up a bit Saturday and Sunday, with the high temperature each day reaching into the mid-70s. The overnight lows will remain in the mid-30s, according to the National Weather Service.

Similar weather is expected to continue through next week as well.

Sunny skies is good news for the organizers of a variety of events taking place across Routt County this weekend. The first Mainstreet Steamboat Farmers Market of the season kicks off from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday on Sixth Street.

The weather is also good news for the 5,000 visitors expected to stay in Steamboat on Saturday night. Saturday occupancy is forecast at 36 percent, according to the Chamber Resort Association’s weekly lodging barometer. That equates to about 5,000 pillows being slept on by visitors at hotels, condominiums and other lodging properties across town. However, walk-in traffic typically boosts actually visitor numbers. For example, the June 4 forecast was for 39 percent occupancy, or about 5,400 occupied pillows. Actual June 4 occupancy ended up at 47 percent, or about 6,400 pillows.

Steamboat Springs has a pillow base of 17,352, according to the Chamber.

This weekend’s forecast is up over the corresponding Saturday from 2010, when occupancy was forecast at 31 percent, and actual numbers were 37 percent.

The visitor forecast ramps up over the next week, with 41 percent occupancy expected for Wednesday night, and 53 percent occupancy predicted for June 18.

June 11-12 weekend forecast