Another weak disturbance that could bring light snow to Southwest Colorado is expected to begin Sunday night and extend into Monday.
The storm might even extend into Tuesday in the eastern San Juans, said Meghan Stackhouse, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
“Another weak disturbance is moving in from the Pacific Northwest, and it should favor the north and central mountains, but it is expected to drop south enough to affect the San Juans,” Stackhouse said.
Durango and Cortez are unlikely to see accumulations from the storm, and they might not even see snowflakes in the air; the San Juan Mountains, though, can expect 3 to 4 inches from the storm with favored peaks in the eastern San Juans seeing up to 6 inches, Stackhouse said.
Stackhouse said the long-range forecast indicates north and central Colorado have a better chance to see above-average amounts of precipitation from storms dropping in from the Pacific Northwest. However, the long-range forecast for Southwest Colorado does not indicate the region will see above-average rates of precipitation through February.
On Sunday, Purgatory Resort reported a 48-inch base with 10 of 12 lifts open. Telluride Ski Area reported a 48-inch base with 17 of 17 lifts open. Wolf Creek Ski Area reported a 70-inch midway base depth and all nine lifts in operation.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center lists the risk of avalanches in the San Juan Mountains as low.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
