Southwest Colorado’s especially wet spring is expected to bring more precipitation toward the end of the week – with even a slight chance of snowflakes mixed with raindrops Friday night and Saturday morning in Dolores and Mancos.
Forecasters were calling for thunderstorms and a chance of showers Thursday evening through Friday evening in Durango and Bayfield, with the highest chance for precipitation occurring late Thursday and early Friday. There is a 20% chance of rain and snow Friday night in Bayfield.
Tom Renwick, forecaster with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, said the latest storm will repeat a pattern seen with the last four or five storms: A low pressure system will move in off the coast of California followed immediately with a trough, a cold front, bringing more moisture.
“All spring, we’ve seen the same sort of systems,” he said.
Elevations above 10,000 feet are likely to see snow from the system, and snow levels could drop to 8,000 feet during the coldest part of the night Friday and early Saturday morning, Renwick said.
About 9 p.m. at 10,000 feet in the San Juan Mountains, Renwick expected temperatures to drop below freezing. But lower elevations are expected to remain above freezing.
In Dolores and Mancos, Renwick said, “There’s a very good chance you’ll see rain, and there’s a slim chance you’ll see snowflakes mixed in with the rain.”
No accumulations are anticipated below 8,000 feet, mainly because roads are so warm, Renwick said.
Lizard Head Pass could see about a half inch of snow Friday night and Saturday morning, Renwick said.
Saturday should be drier in Durango, Cortez and Bayfield.
Another storm system is expected to move into the Four Corners on Sunday night, Renwick said. Monday is shaping up to be the wettest day of the whole bunch for Southwest Colorado, he said.
parmijo@thejournal.com
