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More record-breaking heat forecast for Durango

Metal-bending temperatures put brakes on Durango & Silverton runs

Heat warped the tracks of the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and delayed the last two trains of the day by several hours.

Commercial airlines had to bump passengers to lighten the load so planes could take off safely. Homeowners caved in and bought air-conditioning units or made repairs to existing systems. And hundreds of over-heated residents and tourists sought temporary relief in iced coffee or ice cream cones.

Summer arrived Monday with a vengeance in Durango.

Durango notched record-high temperatures Sunday and Monday with little relief in sight. The high is expected to remain in the 90s through Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.

“There’s a brief break maybe later this week and into the weekend, but it looks like hot weather is going to be here for a while,” said Andrew Lyons, an intern meteorologist with the weather service.

It was a warm evening for the passengers on the two trains, who were bused back to the train depot. They arrived about 8:20 p.m.

“The tracks suffered what’s called a sun kink,” said Christian Robbins, marketing director for the train, “and it was definitely due to heat. We run motorcars in front and back, and the engineers are always looking, so it was caught well in time, and passenger safety was never at issue.”

A crew managed to repair the track enough to get the two trains, which were stopped in the Hermosa area, back into town, with the first arriving at about 9:30 p.m. A maintenance-of-way crew will be back out at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday to make final repairs, Robbins said.

“We’ll continue to monitor this very closely as the heat continues,” he said.

The weather service issued a fire watch from noon until 8 p.m. Tuesday for northeast La Plata County and all of San Juan, Hinsdale and Archuleta counties. Forecasters predict gusty winds, low humidity and dry thunderstorms.

Anticipating increased fire danger, the U.S. Forest Service positioned additional firefighting resources in Southwest Colorado, including a helitack crew and three single-engine air tankers. Other resources have been positioned at the San Juan National Forest’s three ranger districts in Bayfield, Dolores and Pagosa Springs.

The high temperature Monday topped out at 96 degrees at the Durango-La Plata County Airport, 4 degrees hotter than the previous record set in 2007 at the airport, according to the weather service.

Sunday also set a record in the Durango area, with a high of 94 at the airport – 1 degree higher than the previous record high set in 2006 at the same location.

By comparison, the historical average for the those days is 83 degrees.

Commercial airlines called for weight restrictions Monday at the Durango-La Plata County Airport, meaning some seats were left empty to lighten the loads on older planes that struggle in high elevation and hot temperatures, said Tony Vicari, interim director of aviation at the airport.

“We’ll probably see intermittent weight restrictions for the next couple of days,” he said.

Phones were ringing off the hook Monday at Fahrenheit Enterprises which installs and repairs air-conditioning units, said owner Ryan Florian.

His customers include people who have recently moved here from warmer climates and are accustomed to air conditioning as well as longtime residents who are coming to terms with global warming, he said.

“Nobody likes coming home from work when they’ve been working all day and their house is 80 degrees or more,” he said.

Saturday was the busiest day yet for Cream Bean Berry, which sells artisan ice cream and cold-brewed coffee drinks on Main Avenue, said owner Katie Burford. She attributed some of the high traffic to a car show that was in town last weekend.

“We wouldn’t be especially bothered if the heat kept on for a little while,” she said.

The heat wave hit all over the Southwest, and brought tragedy in Arizona.

The mercury hit 118 in Phoenix on Sunday, breaking a record of 115 set for the date nearly 50 years ago. The searing heat left four people dead over the weekend.

In Southern California, the National Weather Service reported 17 daily heat records were broken Sunday, most for readings well over 100 degrees.

The aptly named desert town of Thermal about 25 miles southeast of Palm Springs saw a high of 119 degrees. Burbank was a record 109, breaking the old mark of 104.

More of the same was in the works for Monday because of high pressure over the Four Corners.

“We’re expecting something similar with highs around 115 to 120, with the warmest areas in Southern California,” National Weather Service meteorologist Bianca Hernandez said.

In Arizona, two hikers were found dead Sunday on separate trails near Tucson.

A 19-year-old woman died from apparent heat-related illness after she and a companion got lost, authorities said. Another man was found four miles from a trailhead. Rescuers were searching Monday for someone from the same hiking group.

A 28-year-old woman and two friends set out mountain biking around 6 a.m. Sunday in north Phoenix and carried water, but the woman was exhausted about three hours later and could not breathe.

The avid hiker and personal trainer was taken to a hospital, where she later died, fire Capt. Larry Subervi said. She had no known medical issues, and her condition appeared to be heat-related, authorities said.

A day earlier, a 25-year-old Phoenix man died of heat exposure while hiking in Pinal County.

The National Weather Service said the heat broke a number of records Sunday in Southern California, where firefighters battling wildfires in the region endured another day of brutal conditions.

State regulators urged residents to cut consumption of electricity Monday, when the heat wave was expected to peak.

Herald Staff Writer Ann Butler and The Associated Press contributed to this report. shane@durangoherald.com

Jun 21, 2016
Dry lightning leads to at least three small fires in Durango area


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