A northwesterly storm that brought snow flurries to Southwest Colorado on Tuesday was expected to blow out of the region by midnight, giving way to a high-pressure zone that should result in clear skies and warming temperatures until the weekend.
The storms that started Monday and continued into Tuesday were sporadic and patchy: As of Tuesday morning, Monarch Mountain received 17 inches, Ouray got 5 inches and Silverton had a “dusting,” said Ellen Heffernan, forecaster with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
By Tuesday afternoon, Durango had received about an inch of snow, and Hesperus received 5 inches in two hours, which created icy conditions on U.S. Highway 160 near Mancos Hill.
Two Colorado State Patrol troopers who responded to a two-car crash on Mancos Hill were involved in an accident when a driver hit a slick spot, lost control and crashed into one of the patrol cars, causing it to lurch forward and hit the other patrol car, said Capt. Adrian Driscoll with the State Patrol.
No one was injured in any of the crashes, he said.
“Looks like I’m just going to be down a couple of patrol cars,” Driscoll said.
The dominant weather feature during the past three weeks in Southwest Colorado has been a high-pressure ridge that blocked moisture from moving in, said Joe Ramey, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
Pacific storms have been unable to climb over the ridge or push it south, he said. The ridge is expected to persist into early March, he said.
A dry period is typical of El Niño years, Ramey said, but it usually occurs in January, which means it is delayed this year. He predicted a wetter-than-average late March.
The next chance for snow comes this weekend and early next week, but snow is expected to favor the mountains, which means Durango may again see little precipitation.
Temperatures are expected to warm as the week goes on, with a high of 44 degrees Wednesday and a high of 53 Saturday.
shane@durangoherald.com
Weather information
The Colorado Department of Transportation reminds motorists to check for updated weather information:
Visit www.cotrip.org for real-time road conditions, highway closures, average speeds, photos, live cameras streaming traffic, trucking information and more.
Call 511 to listen to recorded information about road conditions, projected trip travel times and trucker information.
Receive free email/text alerts at www.codot.gov/travel; choose from a list of subscription options at the “get connected” tab.
Follow @coloradodot on Twitter for traveler information and other news.
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Visit www.codot.gov/travel/winter-driving to get information about road conditions, what to keep in a vehicle during the winter, how to safely pass a snowplow, commercial-vehicle requirements, seasonal closures, snow removal and avalanche control.
Herald Staff
