The low temperature for Thanksgiving Day in 1973 was 0 degrees.
Ouch.
But don’t worry, this holiday week is looking pretty nice around these parts.
While northern and central parts of the state are getting all kinds of gnarly weather – high winds, blowing snow and accumulation – down in the southwest corner, occasional snow flurries Saturday night and Sunday are expected to give way to a warming trend.
According to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, it will keep getting sunnier and warmer all week, and the big day will see a high of about 53 degrees.
That shouldn’t stop snow junkies from getting in some turns on Black Friday. Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort plans on opening for weekends starting Friday, with limited skiing until winter drops more of the good stuff.
DMR’s director of public relations Kim Oyler said they are ready.
“We’re very excited to open and kick off our ski season on Friday, 9 a.m.,” she said. “We’ll make announcements as to what our operations will be and then also what’s open for terrain in the next couple of days.”
So far, Durango has remained on the fringe of any real winter weather, but many locals know – and hope – that it can hit any time.
A hazardous weather outlook is just missing Durango, but it has hit Silverton, with predictions of a snow accumulation up to a possible 3 inches and ripping winds that could howl as hard and high as 35 mph.
For Durango, today looks sunny and breezy, with a high near 35. Tonight, things will get a little brisk with a low of around 12, with biting 20 mph winds. Tuesday should see slowly rising temperatures with a high near 40, and a low around 19. On Wednesday, the National Weather Service expects a high near 50 degrees.
In 1998, it was 63 degrees Nov. 27. This year, it looks warm, but not that warm. Thursday, Friday and Saturday will all see high temperatures above 50 and plenty of sunshine, according to the weather service.
It should be great running weather, good for the 25th annual Turkey Trot at Fort Lewis College.
As far as winter is concerned, the weather service is still relying on its “equal thirds” outlook: The chances for a colder-than-normal, a warm-than-normal and a normal winter all at about equal probabilities.
bmathis@durangoherald.com
