The blanket of snow on Durango will have a chance to melt a bit Sunday, before more storms move in.
“Snow from this system is pretty much done,” Tom Renwick, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Saturday evening.
By mid-afternoon, Durango had received 11 inches of snow and areas above 10,000 feet had up to 20 inches, leaving roads snow-packed and slippery, ski resorts rejoicing, and increased avalanche danger in the backcountry.
Another storm is expected to arrive about 6 p.m. Sunday and it could bring rain or snow to Durango, Renwick said.
Higher elevations should see heavy snow. For example, Hermosa could get between 8 and 12 inches, he said.
Precipitiation is likely to be intermittent Monday, and the next storm is expected to arrive Monday evening and stick around through Tuesday morning. It likely will bring the heavy precipitation.
“It’s definitely going to be another warning-level storm,” said Chris Cuoco, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction. “It just doesn’t want to stop.”
The snow will be followed by several days of colder weather with highs in the 20s, so the snow could stick around.
Snow route rules are in effect in Durango, which means that residents should not park on the street to allow snowplows to clear main roads. Roads covered by this rule include Riverview Drive, Eastlawn Avenue, Junction Street and West Park Avenue. A full map is available at durangogov.org/snow.
The city also closed the Recycle Center and the Durango Public Library Saturday because of the weather, according to a tweet.
Highways in the region were snow covered, and chain laws for commercial vehicles were in effect for U.S. Highway 160 from Durango to Mancos. The chain law for U.S. Highway 491 from Cortez to the Utah state line was lifted about 5 p.m.
Traction laws also are in place for Coal Bank, Molas and Red Mountain passes on U.S. Highway 550, and Highway 160 at Wolf Creek Pass.
Colorado Highway 145 at Lizard Head Pass closed for the second time Saturday at 4 p.m. for avalanche control. It was shut down at 6 a.m. by a snow slide north of Rico and reopened about 7 a.m., according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
Cortez received 8 inches of snow, Hesperus received 9.2 inches and Pagosa Springs had 9.4 inches by mid-day, said John Kyle with the National Weather Service.
About 19 inches has fallen at Wolf Creek Ski Area in the last 24 hours and 12 inches has fallen at Purgatory over the same period.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center said there is considerable avalanche danger throughout the San Juan Mountains and also in the central mountains of Colorado because of heavy snowfall and wind.
There were calls about cars sliding off area roads, according to the emergency scanner.
Shortly before 5 p.m. a 10 to 15 passenger van slid off the Highway 145 near Rico and into a snowbank, Trooper Alisha Danko said.
At 6:30 p.m. the van was still stuck, but there were no injuries and the van was drivable, she said.
She did not know if the vehicle was using tire chains.
The Durango-La Plata County Airport had extended delays Saturday, mostly because of low visibility, Interim Airport Director Tony Vicari said. But there were no cancellations.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
