Durango and surrounding areas received up to 9 inches of snowfall in places by early Sunday morning, with up to a foot on regional mountain passes. And like previous weather patterns, temperatures are about to sink before they return to normal. Better bundle up.
“(Today’s) temps will be very cold,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Chris Cuoco from Grand Junction. “With highs getting only into the teens, and 10 to 15 mph winds, that gives you a very low wind chill.”
The weather service is predicting a wind chill factor as low as minus 30 degrees.
“These are certainly near record lows,” Cuoco said. “I would not doubt that.”
According to the Weather Underground website, in 1978, a low of minus 16 is the record low for Dec. 8. In 1981, the high was 58.
He warned that with 10 to 15 mph winds creating hazardous wind chills, people should take heed.
“Negative 35 is the beginning of the danger zone for frostbite to exposed skin,” Cuoco said. He said with those values, frostbite can occur in as little as 30 minutes.
Body parts susceptible to frostbite are fingers, toes, ear lobes and the tip of the nose, according to the weather service.
Retailers such as Gardenswartz Outdoors experienced a weekend sales spike in warm clothing.
Sales clerk Amanda Rowe said on Friday night they sold 200 hats.
“And socks,” her co-worker Candiss White said. “Lots of socks.”
The cold didn’t stop many Durangoans and visitors from enjoying their free time.
Yovonne Neeley, Elaine Bridges and Susan Herrera, employees of Osprey Packs Inc. in Cortez, were stomping through the snowy sidewalks downtown before many businesses were open. They said they were just happy that temps were above zero.
“We came out for a girl’s weekend, and we just did our thing,” Neeley said. “And cold means ski season – you’ve got to be pumped about that.”
Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort spokeswoman Kim Oyler said the ski area received 14 inches from the storm, and while it is cold, she said ski conditions are fantastic.
Meanwhile, hordes of sledders swarmed Buckley Park, staying warm by hiking up the hill before sliding down for thrills.
Susan Vance and her daughter, Sidney, came from Albuquerque to ride the Polar Express, and took advantage of the snow on the last day of their visit.
“We don’t have this very much,” Vance said. “So, we’re pretty excited.”
Seattle transplant Sara Keyser was downtown, enjoying what she called a beautiful, sunny day.
“I mean, look at it,” she said, pointing west. “This is beautiful – the snow on the mountains. I don’t even feel like it’s that cold. It’s actually kind of pleasant.”
The aesthetic snow and resulting slick road conditions were to blame for a few minor accidents Sunday, according to the Colorado State Patrol, but no injuries were reported.
Nancy Shanks, spokeswoman with the Colorado Department of Transportation, said CDOT crews reported “surprisingly quiet roads.”
“Our Durango patrols go way up to Rockwood, east to Yellow Jacket, west to Mancos Hill and all the way down to the state line,” she said.
She said that with sand and a little sunshine, the snow-packed roads should clear up nicely.
The weather service expects mostly sunny skies this week with high temperatures slowly returning to the 30s by Thursday.
bmathis@durangoherald.com
