A potent winter storm system is expected this week, bringing heavy winds and several feet of snow to the San Juan Mountains.
The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings and advisories, as well as high wind warnings, for much of the Western Slope, including the Four Corners. NWS meteorologist Braeden Winters said the storm will last through Thursday, with two waves of storm energy bearing heavy precipitation and winds.
“At the start of the storm, most of the snow is going to stay up in the mountains,” Winters said. “But we are expecting a potent cold front to pass through sometime Tuesday morning. Once that does pass through, it should plummet those temperatures and help support some more snowfall in the valleys down into Durango.”
Winters said the NWS expects 6 to 12 inches of snow to accumulate in and around Durango by Thursday morning.
The San Juan Mountains, on the other hand, could see several feet of snow. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center’s weather modeling predicts 20 to 25 inches in most places of the southern San Juan Mountains by Thursday, with higher local totals.
OpenSnow’s Monday forecast called for ski resorts across the region to see copious amounts of powder. By Friday, Purgatory Resort could receive 32 inches; Silverton is calling for 26 inches; Telluride could get 21 inches; and Wolf Creek could see a whopping 44 inches.
A wind advisory has been issued for much of Southwest Colorado, Winters said.
“We're expecting up to 50 mph gusts in the valleys,” Winters said. “If you go up into the mountains, winds are going to be even stronger – anywhere from 50 to 70 mph. So it’s not just going to be a snowy couple days. It’s going to be really windy as well.”
The wind combined with heavy snow could make travel difficult, Winters said.
“Snow is tough to travel in, wind is tough to travel in. You get them both together, and it’s a nasty combination,” Winters said. “Especially going over mountain passes, where both of those things are going to be the strongest.”
Since the storm is expected to come in warm followed by rapidly dropping temperatures, travel at low elevations will also be dangerous, Winters said.
“Especially if the storm starts as rain and then that freezes over, you could get some really slick roads down in the valleys,” Winters said. “That’s not a good combination, either. Travel is going to be difficult everywhere, whether you start with rain or you start with snow.”
Winters advised residents of La Plata County to brave roadways only if absolutely necessary. If driving in the storm, Winters said to have a full tank of gas, good tires, and plenty of extra layers and food in case of emergencies.
A spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Transportation did not respond to a request for comment. However, information regarding road and travel conditions can be found at cotrip.org.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
