Forecasters were right when they predicted snow in the mountains this week, and there’s more to come, including, potentially, a few inches in Durango.
“We expect to get to the meat of the storm beginning Thursday night,” said meteorologist Norv Larson with the Grand Junction Office of the National Weather Service. “You should expect to get 8 to 16 inches in the mountains.”
Several local ski areas reported new snow Thursday, including an estimated 9 inches at Wolf Creek Ski Area, 6 inches at Silverton Mountain, 1 inch reported but more falling at Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort and light snow falling at Telluride Ski Resort.
They weren’t as lucky as ski areas in the center of the state, where preliminary snowfall reports included 19 inches near Dillon, 18.5 near Fraser and 16 near Frisco.
The area north and east of Durango is under a winter storm warning until midnight today.
In its hazardous weather outlook, the weather service advised travelers to delay trips until the storm has passed, and roads are cleared. It recommended that motorists who do travel have winter-survival kits in their vehicles.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center has issued avalanche watches that are in effect until further notice for many areas.
Durango has an 80 percent chance of precipitation today, but Larsen didn’t expect an accumulation of more than a few inches of snow, which may not stick around long with a predicted high of 39 degrees. Lows are going to get lower over the next few nights, with 12 degrees predicted for tonight and single digits through Wednesday.
While the snow is bringing much-needed moisture, it won’t be enough to get the snowpack back to its normal levels for this time of year.
“The winter started so promisingly so early, and then January happened,” Larson said. “You’ll need a few more of these to get the snowpack back up to average levels.”
There is the possibility for another storm to move in Monday, but it’s too far out to predict right now, he said.
“It’s not a well-organized system and not that powerful,” Larson said.
In weather news across the state, Loveland Pass closed Thursday, and the Colorado Department of Transportation closed U.S. Highway 40 over Berthoud Pass overnight Thursday starting at 8 p.m. Parts of Interstate 70 in central Colorado were snow-covered.
Forecasters were expecting Denver to receive up to 10 inches by this morning.
Before heading out, travelers should check www.cotrip.org for road conditions and closures.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
