Starting Wednesday, Durango residents should avail themselves of sweaters, hide their bulbs and deposit their cigarette butts into ashtrays.
According to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, a low-pressure cold front that, as of Tuesday afternoon, was hovering above California and is headed to Durango, where it will cause temperatures to plunge and winds to pick up.
Meteorologist Matthew Aleska said, “We’re expecting below freezing temperatures in Durango on Wednesday night and colder temperatures on Thursday morning.”
He said forecasters are anticipating a “Wednesday night low of 24 degrees. So if you have any sensitive plants budding – vegetation, fruit trees, flowers – we recommend you either take them inside or cover them to prevent them from getting damaged.”
He said the National Weather Service already issued a red-flag warning for Durango, meaning the area is at heightened risk for fire.
“The weather conditions merit a red-flag warning because the humidity is relatively low, less than 15 percent – that’s very dry air. Combine that with dry vegetation and gusty winds, those are the critical elements for fire potential,” he said.
He said forecasters are predicting 20 to 25 mph winds with gusts “up to 45 mph” Wednesday and Thursday.
The good news is that “the cold snap isn’t going to last too long,” he said. And while Durango might be unpleasantly breezy for the immediate future, during the day at least, temperatures are expected to rise to an eminently tolerable 55 degrees Wednesday and 57 degrees Thursday.
“Then on Friday, temperatures are expected to warm up to the 60s and remain higher than usual through the weekend,” he said.
cmcallister@durangoherald.com
