While New England and the Midwest deal with winter storm Hercules, Durango again is looking at a weekend of sunny skies and fair temperatures. But don’t put away those snow boots and winter coats just yet; more weather could be on the horizon.
Snow hopefuls had been hearing hints of fresh powder this weekend. However, the predicted storm actually will affect northern and central Colorado more, Chris Cuoco with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction said Thursday.
The most Durango might see is a light dusting of snow, but more likely the area will just have more cloud cover and cooler temperatures while the upper San Juans will see perhaps an inch or so of snow, Cuoco said.
Despite the lack of snow, he said there is little to worry about in terms of precipitation.
“All of western Colorado is very close to normal, about 97 percent of normal precipitation,” he said. The water year – the period when the National Weather Service tracks the amount of water – begins in October.
And locals shouldn’t be afraid that snow already has moved on and they are stuck in a half-spring, half-winter limbo until February.
“There is a bit of a pattern change about Wednesday and Thursday ... where there will be a good chance of precipitation in Southwest Colorado,” Cuoco said. In-town areas will see some snow, while the mountains will get some fresh powder for winter sports enthusiasts.
Even though there hasn’t been new snow since mid-December, skiing and snowboarding is still good. According to their websites, Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort boasts a 36-inch base, Silverton Mountain a 53-inch base and Telluride a 43-inch base. All three areas are just high enough to get a bit of the snow predicted for this weekend, and are expected to be in for some snow accumulation during next week’s storm.
Hannah Robertson is a Durango High School senior who is spending several hours a week studying media in the Herald newsroom.
