Just when you thought winter was over, forecasters on Monday predicted an approaching storm could drop up to a foot of snow in the southern San Juan Mountains over the next three days.
Chris Cuoco, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, said high winds and dryness throughout the region Monday prompted the weather service to issue a red flag warning, which recommends no outdoor burning, for Southwest Colorado.
Yet, those conditions serve only as a precursor for a storm set to hit Monday night, Cuoco said.
Strong winds were likely to persist in the region through Monday night as a cold front and storm moved into the Western Slope. On Tuesday, rain is expected to change to snow as evening temperatures drop.
“We expect a pretty good storm for the mountains as this front moves through,” Cuoco said.
In elevations above 8,000 feet, models predict 2 to 4 inches of snow Monday night, and another 4 to 6 inches Tuesday into Wednesday.
“Or maybe more,” Cuoco said.
In Durango, the storm will likely bring a rain-snow mix with no accumulation expected.
Although forecasts last week predicted little chance of another snowstorm in Southwest Colorado, Cuoco called on the “things change” mantra of anticipating Mother Nature.
“Over the weekend, these predictions grew quite a bit,” he said. “This is going to be a good late-winter, early-spring storm.”
Temperatures are expected to drop 10 to 15 degrees over the next three days. Then on Friday, the region should start warming up again, with highs not expected to reach the 60-degree mark again until Sunday.
“Keep your flip-flops, sneakers and boots next to the door,” Cuoco suggested.
