The National Weather Service in Grand Junction reported a total of 5 to 7 inches of snowfall Monday in Durango, with accumulations in the mountains reaching up to a foot of new snow.
Meteorologist Matthew Aleksa said the system has moved to the northeast, but there was still the possibility for slight snowfall on and off throughout the day Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.
The rest of the week will remain below freezing, the weather service said, with temperatures at night dipping down below zero Tuesday and Wednesday, rising just into the low single digits on Thursday. Temperatures should rise by the weekend, with highs expected in the 40s.
The cleanup is still underway. City of Durango officials said crews will remove snow from the Central Business District starting at midnight Wednesday. Vehicles left parked on the street will be towed starting at 2 a.m. City officials said motorists can park at the Transit Center until 7 a.m. Thursday.
Aleksa said another system will enter the Southwest, impacting primarily the northern mountains Wednesday night into Thursday, but weather should remain fairly dry in Durango. Another storm system is predicted to move across the area early next week.
Purgatory Resort reported 14 inches of new snow in the past 24 hours, bringing its storm total from the weekend to 25 new inches. Officials say the mountain now has a base depth of 41 inches.
Wolf Creek Ski Area reported 26 inches of new snow on Tuesday, bringing its depth at the base to 74 inches.
The Durango Police Department and Colorado State Patrol said Monday was busy for both departments. Durango Police responded to 20 incidents, and the State Patrol reported 15 to 20 accidents as a result of Monday’s storm. Spokesmen for the agencies said no serious injuries were reported.
At the Durango-La Plata County Airport, one Tuesday-morning United Airlines flight to Denver was canceled because the aircraft was unable to arrive Monday night because of the storm. The United flights scheduled to arrive midafternoon, at 3:56 p.m. and 4:52 p.m., were also canceled, and the flight scheduled to arrive at 6 p.m. was delayed.
Because of delays at Denver International Airport Tuesday, inbound flights to Denver were delayed about three hours, operations specialist Tony Vicari said. The only flight affected was a United Airlines flight to Denver, which was scheduled to leave at 10:30 a.m.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
Webcams
For a look at road conditions around the region, check the webcams on The Durango Herald’s weather page at http://thecloudscout.com.
Weather information
The Colorado Department of Transportation reminds motorists to check for updated weather information:
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Call 511 to listen to recorded information about road conditions, projected trip travel times and trucker information.
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Visit www.coloradodot.gov/travel/winter-driving to get information about road conditions, what to keep in a vehicle during the winter, how to safely pass a snowplow, commercial-vehicle requirements, seasonal closures, snow removal and avalanche control.
Herald Staff
