Weather forecasters are calling for light snow and periods of sunshine late this week and early next week in Southwest Colorado.
By Tuesday evening, a high-pressure system will move into the area bringing drier weather, said Lucas Boyer, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
“Sunday morning is going to feel pretty chilly out there, in the single digits,” he said. “Another round of clouds will increase throughout the day Sunday.
La Plata County will see scattered snow flurries, but snow will be lighter than it has been because it is a northerly event.
The scattered snowstorms could extend into early next week.
“This is going to be kind of a longer event with small bursts of snow showers, where it will probably end by Tuesday morning with just small bursts of snow showers,” Boyer said. “Durango might pick up an inch or two.”
Boyer emphasizes that these latest storms are not part of the atmospheric river that has been hitting the Southwest U.S., which caused mass flooding, several deaths and extensive property damage in California.
“That's why you’re just not going to see as much snow out of these two storms because they don’t have that rich tap of moisture that came through with that big event last week,” he said.
Boyer has good news for those who are growing weary of driving on snow and ice and having to shovel their driveways and sidewalks several times a day.
“Looks like we’re going to dry out this week once we get a high-pressure system moving in,” he said. “The high-pressure starts building on Tuesday and Wednesday. I think Wednesday, we’ll still see weak chances for precipitation, particularly just to the north there in the mountains.”
Boyer hopes news of drier weather will dispel anxieties people may be having about excessive amount of snow.
“I know that it’s been challenging,” he said. “It’s been feast or famine here. It’s definitely challenging people’s tolerance for snow. We all like it, but then too much of it wears out its welcome.”
molsen@durangoherald.com
