A weak storm system from the northwest is expected to move over Southwest Colorado Sunday evening, bringing snow to Silverton and elevations above 9,000 feet and a chance of rain to Durango.
The storm is expected to move out of the region Monday night, and Tuesday, Election Day, is expected to be sunny and clear with a high of 56 in Durango and a low of 27.
“The bad news for you, is this storm is coming from the northwest, as the jet stream descends, which tends to favor the northern and central mountains, but you still should see something from this,” said Tom Renwick, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
Renwick said he expected snow accumulations of 6 to 8 inches above 10,000 feet in elevation in the San Juan Mountains and 2 to 4 inches from 9,000 feet and up.
Lower elevations and Durango have a chance for isolated showers beginning in the evening, but Renwick said he didn’t expect heavy rainfall.
“You might see more sprinkles than rain,” he said.
After this storm moves through, Renwick said Southwest Colorado looks to be clear with highs in Durango in the mid to upper 50s through next weekend.
In Silverton, the weather service lists a 30 percent chance of snow Sunday increasing to 60 percent later in the day. Sunday night, the chance of snow jumps to 70 percent. Monday’s forecast calls for a 20 percent chance of snow in Silverton.
The weather service continues to forecast a weak to moderate El Niño to form in the next two months, and that should favor snowfall in Southwest Colorado.
Renwick said the weather service lists a 70 to 75 percent chance of El Niño forming in the equatorial Pacific.
“It’s suppose to be weak to moderate, but hey, compared to last year, we’ll take it,” he said.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
