The storm blowing out of Southwest Colorado is likely to leave only rain in valley areas but possibly a smattering of snow if temperatures dip far enough, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Grand Junction said Friday.

“You might see a trace of snow,” Matthew Aleksa said. “But the north and central mountains will get most of the snow.”

The gorge, as avalanche people call the area between Ouray and Red Mountain Pass, will get snow, he said.

Otherwise, the storm will be gone from the Durango area by noon today and skies will remain mostly clear through Monday, Aleksa said.

Temperatures will drop behind the storm, Aleksa said. The high in Durango today should be around 47, with an overnight low of 21 degrees.

But Sunday and Monday should see highs near 60.

A quick-moving, but fairly mild system will blow through Colorado on Tuesday morning but should be gone by Wednesday morning, Aleksa said.

It could bring 5 to 10 inches of snow to the north and central mountains.

Durango and lower elevations would see only rain, he said.

daler@durangoherald.com