Durango Bayfield and Ignacio schools announced Wednesday evening that school is canceled Thursday because of continuing snow.
Also, the Fort Lewis College campus will be closed Thursday. Although spring classes don’t start until Monday, a career fair that was scheduled for Thursday has been canceled.
The actions came as Southwest Colorado was hit with a second storm this week that unloaded several inches of snow, turning area roads slick.
And more is on the way: A winter storm watch has been issued for Thursday night into Friday, when a similar storm system is expected to drop more snow on the region.
Grand Junction-based National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Frisbie said Durangoans can expect more snow in addition to the 4-6 inches the Durango area had received as of Wednesday evening. For once, he said, the foothills are receiving a rare heavier snowfall than the ski area and Silverton to the north, which only received about an inch of snowfall.
“Snowfall in the higher country tapered off,” Frisbie said. “It’s kind of unusual, but that’s just how the storm came in – it didn’t have the strength to get over the mountain.”
Snow was expected to continue in stops and starts through Wednesday night, without as much accumulation, he said. The winter storm watch will continue through Friday afternoon, with a 20 percent chance of snow Sunday.
The low predicted for Thursday night is in the lower 20s, with a high on Thursday of about 32 degrees.
The snow on Wednesday led Durango School District 9-R to cancel afternoon bus routes, although schools stayed open through the day so parents could pick up their children.
In other developments Wednesday:
Animas High School released its 286 students at 11:35 a.m. and canceled a board meeting; Mountain Middle School closed at 12:15 p.m.; Ignacio and Bayfield school districts canceled after-school activities; and the Durango Boys and Girls Club closed for the day.
Wednesday’s storm was expected to dump up to 5 inches in town. Snow started falling about 7 a.m., and it led to poor visibility and delays during the morning commute.
Durango School District buses were delayed, and Main Avenue trollies were operating on a 30-minute rather than a 20-minute schedule.
Several vehicles slid off the road Wednesday throughout La Plata County, and at least one vehicle rolled on a county road, according to scanner traffic. Chain laws were in effect on Wolf Creek Pass.
A two-mile section of Colorado Highway 184, which runs between Mancos and Dolores, was closed about 4:40 p.m. for an accident about six miles north of Mancos.
At least one United Airlines flight from Durango to Denver was canceled, and another en route from Denver to Durango was diverted as airport crews cleared the runway.
Two buses reported sliding Wednesday morning, although no accidents occurred. In a letter sent to parents, the school district said bus service was canceled with kids’ safety in mind. “As you know, we have hired a number of new drivers who are less experienced driving a bus in this weather,” the letter read.
Ellen Heffernan, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, said a third storm arrives Sunday, but it is expected to track further to the south.
“This next one coming in for Friday, it looks like it might be a little colder,” Heffernan said.
“The heaviest stuff goes to the south. But I think it looks pretty good, too. They’ll probably be pretty similar, but the one on Sunday looks weaker.”
Roads turned icy as the day progressed Wednesday, said Trooper Josiah Fuller with the Colorado State Patrol. He responded to a couple of vehicles that slid off the road on U.S. Highway 160 east of Durango.
A winter storm watch will be effect from 6 p.m. Thursday until 5 p.m. Friday throughout La Plata County. Up to 6 inches of new snow is possible Thursday through Friday.
The city of Durango hauled about 88 dump truck loads of snow Tuesday night from locations around town. City street crews planned to work around the clock through the back-to-back storms.
Purgatory reported 2 inches of new snow during a 24-hour period ending at 3 p.m. Wednesday. Wolf Creek Ski Area listed 6 inches during a 24-hour period ending at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
shane@durangoherald.com
Durango school district letter (PDF)
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