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First of two snowstorms sweeps through Southwest Colorado

A bigger storm with higher snow totals expected Wednesday
Skiers make their way up the mountain Tuesday as heavy snow falls at Purgatory Resort. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)

The first of two winter storms blanketed Southwest Colorado early Tuesday with a fresh layer of snow, resulting in as little as 1 inch in some lower elevations and as much as 16 inches in the high country of the San Juan Mountains.

The first storm began Monday evening and stretched into Tuesday, largely following predictions from the National Weather Service. If that is any indication, a second storm stretching into Thursday will bring more snow that could more than double snow totals and leave travelers facing blizzard conditions in places.

A Colorado Department of Transportation snowplow clears U.S. Highway 550 on Tuesday north of Durango. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)

“I think it’s pretty much on track,” said Kris Sanders, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service based in Grand Junction, speaking Tuesday morning. “The Durango-Cortez area saw anywhere between 2 to 6 inches, so not too far off track.”

A winter weather advisory issued by the National Weather Service on Monday called for 3 to 6 inches through Tuesday afternoon across the cities of Cortez, Dove Creek, Mancos, Durango, Bayfield, Ignacio and Pagosa Springs.

Those figures held mostly true Tuesday morning with Cortez receiving 3 to 6 inches, Durango 2 to 4 inches and Pagosa Springs 1 to 3 inches.

In the mountains, where the National Weather Service forecast several feet of snow before the end of the week, Colorado Department of Transportation crews measured 12 to 14 inches at Red Mountain Pass, 14 to 16 inches at Coal Bank and Molas passes, and 14 inches at Lizard Head Pass on Tuesday morning.

Those totals will only grow as a second storm moves into the area.

“We’ll actually see that system move through during the day (Wednesday), so we’re going to see another increase in the snowfall rates and coverage,” Sanders said.

Cortez could see an additional 4 to 7 inches, Durango 6 to 9 inches and Pagosa Springs 7 to 12 inches through Thursday morning. Another 3 to 4 inches could fall on cities along Colorado’s state lines.

Forecasts show an additional 1 to 2 feet on most of Southwest Colorado’s mountain passes and an additional 3 feet on Wolf Creek Pass, Sanders said.

On Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service upgraded its winter storm watch for Southwest Colorado to a winter storm warning, which will be in place until 5 a.m. Thursday. The warning called for an additional 5 to 10 inches of snow with wind gusts as high as 40 mph.

In the announcement, the National Weather Service warned travelers to prepare for treacherous driving conditions through Thursday morning.

“Plan on hazardous travel conditions due to icy and snowpacked roadways with areas of heavy snowfall and blowing snow impacting visibility. Near whiteout conditions at times are possible,” the forecasters wrote.

Road conditions Tuesday were already difficult. The first storm hit a wide swath of Colorado, slowing traffic on U.S. Highway 550 north of Durango, as well as on Interstate 25, I-70 and U.S. Highway 285, according to CDOT.

In La Plata County, the Sheriff’s Office reported difficult driving conditions with multiple slide-offs and two rollovers on La Plata Highway (County Road 140) west of Hesperus.

Roads in the Wildcat Canyon and the Trimble Crossing areas were icy at times, said Sgt. Chris Burke, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

Cody Chandler with Purgatory Resort directs drivers to an overflow parking lot Tuesday morning as heavy snow falls across the region. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)

CDOT crews performed avalanche mitigation along Highway 550 at Red Mountain Pass on Tuesday morning into the afternoon, triggering several slides on the north side of the pass. Drivers faced delays of an hour or more between Silverton and Ouray as crews worked in the area, according to a news release.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center reported the risk of avalanches Tuesday was “considerable,” or Level 3 of five levels. The CAIC forecast “high,” or Level 4, avalanche danger near or above treeline on Wednesday and issued an avalanche watch for the San Juan Mountains through midnight Thursday.

Officials from CDOT said crews would continue avalanche mitigation in the coming days as snow piled up.

“We’re expecting to have avalanche mitigation continuing through Friday morning on all of our mountain passes,” said Lisa Schwantes, spokeswoman for CDOT’s Southwest region.

A truck pulls another truck down U.S. Highway 550 on Tuesday near Cascade Creek in whiteout conditions. (Jerry McBride/Durango Herald)

CDOT closed Highway 550 at Red Mountain Pass at 6 p.m. Tuesday because of adverse weather and treacherous road conditions. The agency gave no estimated time for reopening the pass. Southbound traffic was stopped at mile marker 92 south of Ouray and northbound traffic was stopped north of Silverton at mile marker 71.

“Forecasts for additional heavy accumulations of snow, high winds, blowing snow, and low visibility will create hazardous travel conditions,” a news release said.

CDOT warned that Molas and Coal Bank passes could also face safety closures if conditions worsened.

Commercial vehicle chain and passenger vehicle traction laws were in effect on Colorado Highway 145 between Rico and Telluride on Tuesday evening.

CDOT crews began 12-hour snow shifts Monday afternoon and those rotations will extend until Thursday. Every patrol had more than one snowplow in operation clearing the roads, Schwantes said.

Capt. John Trentini with Durango’s Colorado State Patrol office said he expected road conditions to deteriorate Wednesday.

“U.S. Highway 160 through Wolf Creek will be a mess (Wednesday) no matter what,” he said.

Schwantes warned against any unnecessary travel.

“If it’s at all possible, delay your travel and wait until this clears up,” she said. “This is a pretty significant system with waves of snow and with the high winds coming in and out.”

ahannon@durangoherald.com



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