Durangoans should get a break in the snow for several days, but colder temperatures are expected.
And partly sunny to sunny skies expected in the next few days should help with some needed snow cleanup.
City plow drivers have hauled off dozens of loads of snow from back-to-back storms that left 8 to 10 inches in the city this week. They’ll continue to clear the Central Business District beginning at 11:45 p.m. Sunday. The Durango Police Department will tow and ticket drivers parked overnight in snow-removal zones starting at 2 a.m. Monday.
Home and business owners are advised to check the snow depth on their roofs to ensure they’re not overloaded.
La Plata County building codes recommend roofs be designed to withstand a minimum of 40 pounds per square foot for elevations similar to Durango. Snow loads Friday were approaching that threshold in the Animas Valley north of Durango, near Shenandoah subdivision to the west and Florida Mesa to the east, said Butch Knowlton, director of the county’s Office of Emergency Preparedness.
Several roofs had about 18 inches of snow, which weighed about 40 pounds, he said. So it may be about time for residents to relieve roofs of some of that weight, especially if they live in mobile homes or older structures with flat roofs, he said.
The situation can become especially dire if a rainstorm comes through and increases the overall weight, Knowlton said.
The back-to-back snowstorms were good news for ski areas, some businesses and the water supply, though.
Purgatory Resort reported a foot of new snow as of noon Friday from the past four days. The mountain is 100 percent open with a 53-inch base depth. Sunday is a Local’s Day, which offers reduced lift tickets to customers with a coupon – $45 rather than $85 for adults.
“The conditions are fantastic,” said spokesman Kim Oyler. “It’s been a fantastic January so far.”
Construction companies that use heavy equipment during the winter for snow removal are having a significantly better season than in recent years.
Grant Beck, owner of Good Hands LLC, said he removed snow only four days last winter and has already doubled that this year.
“This is a much better year,” he said.
And snowpack was 130 percent of average as of Jan. 1 for the San Juan, Animas, Dolores and San Miguel basin, according to a report from the Natural Resources Conservation Service. That is the highest in the state and 173 percent higher than last year’s snowpack at this time.
But the snow brought its share of headaches, too.
A semi-tractor trailer jackknifed about 8:30 a.m. Friday in Durango while turning onto a side road from Camino del Rio near the Powerhouse Science Center. It was among several crashes Friday morning throughout La Plata County after 4 to 12 inches of snow fell overnight and early Friday morning across Southwest Colorado.
Camino del Rio was closed about 15 minutes between 11th and 15th streets while a tow truck recovered the semi.
Area schools were canceled for the second consecutive day, including Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio school districts, as well as Mountain Middle School and Animas High School. Fort Lewis College also closed its campus Friday and rescheduled new student orientation for Saturday. La Plata County offices delayed opening until 9 a.m. Friday because of the weather.
At least two flights were canceled Friday morning at the Durango-La Plata County Airport and one was delayed for mechanical reasons. Other flights were running on schedule, but Denver flights were showing one-hour delays for in-bound traffic because of snow and ice in Denver. At least two flights were diverted Thursday night from Durango because of poor visibility.
The storm cleared out Friday and is expected to be replaced by colder air. Nighttime temperatures are expected to be in the single digits through early next week.
This week’s back-to-back storms stayed pretty far south, largely depriving the San Juan Mountains of massive amounts of snowfall that can be typical during winter storms. In some cases, towns such as Cortez (12 inches), Durango (8-10 inches) and Pagosa Springs received more snow than the northern mountains.
Chain laws were in effect for all area passes, including Coal Bank and Molas passes between Durango and Silverton, Red Mountain Pass between Silverton and Ouray, and Wolf Creek Pass east of Pagosa Springs.
shane@durangoherald.com
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Herald Staff
