The high country around Silverton should see snow accumulations this weekend as a low-pressure system makes its way into the Four Corners.
Megan Stackhouse, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, said that lately, forecasting models have been a “mess.” But she said best estimates show the system will move from southern Arizona into Southwest Colorado on Friday.
Overnight, she said elevations above 11,000 feet could get anywhere from 4 inches to 6 inches of snow with lows in the upper 20s to mid-30s.
In Durango, it’s likely precipitation will remain as rain, but Stackhouse said there could be a snow-rain mix early Saturday as lows dip to the mid-30s.
Should the storm arrive as predicted, it would be the first long-term accumulation for the season.
Early in the season, SNOTEL data indicates the Animas, Dolores, San Juan and San Miguel basins are at 19 percent of the median snowpack average.
The Weather Service reports that the average temperature recorded at the Durango-La Plata County Airport for the month of October was 49.9 degrees – 3 degrees above the normal average temperature of 46.8.
It’s unclear if the storm will help Purgatory Resort – which has a base elevation of about 8,900 feet and a top elevation of 10,822 feet. It plans to open Nov. 19.
Kim Oyler, spokeswoman for the resort, wrote in an email that Purgatory has started snowmaking for the season, and crews plan to make snow throughout the week as temperatures allow.
Conversely, Wolf Creek Ski Area, which usually is among the first Colorado resorts to open, announced Tuesday it’s postponing the tentative opening date because of unseasonably warm temperatures in the southern San Juan Mountains.
“Wolf Creek has been lucky enough to have several early openings in the past, so we patiently wait for a new season to begin,” the announcement said.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
