A spring storm brought snow Monday morning to much of Southwest Colorado, including Durango, with the wet weather expected to continue through the day.
The storm delivered about 5 inches in Silverton and at Purgatory Resort by mid-morning, said Michael Charnick, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
The storm was likely to drop another 2 to 5 inches Monday in areas above 8,000 feet before tapering off, he said. Mountain valleys, such as Durango, will likely receive rain, he said, although it was snowing in town as of 11 a.m.
Snow also settled over Cortez and Mancos mid-morning and was expected to continue through mid-afternoon. Cortez received a half inch within 20 minutes, he said. The storm could deliver 1 to 3 inches of snow to the Cortez area, he said.
“It’s not going to stick around for too long,” Charnick said.
The jet stream was pushing cold air from the Pacific Northwest, he said.
The high Monday in Durango was expected to be 44 degrees and reach 50 degrees Tuesday. The high Monday in Cortez was expected to be 47 degrees.
Winter Storm Warnings in effect today and tomorrow for #COwx mtns above 9K'. A foot or more of snow is likely by Tuesday eve with more Wed. pic.twitter.com/cbpmdX6fS7
— NWS Grand Junction (@NWSGJT) May 20, 2019
The snow is the first in a series of storms, Charnick said.
“The whole week there is going to be a few different waves of snow coming through,” he said.
The next best chance for snow will be Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. That storm could bring 6 to 10 inches of snow to higher elevations. Areas above 9,500 feet could see the heaviest accumulations. Lower elevations are likely to see rain, he said.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
