A cold front sweeping the region will bring snow to higher elevations, including the Purgatory ski area, this weekend and possibly the coldest temperatures of the season to Durango by the middle of next week.
“By Saturday morning, (the cold air will be) in the Durango area and will sit in that vicinity, stretching up toward Vail Pass through much of the day,” said Joe Ramey, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Grand Junction. “The snow line will be tricky – the high (Saturday for Durango) is predicted around 40 degrees, but it will probably be in the upper 30s.”
Depending when the cold air and moisture align, the best chances for snow in Durango will be Saturday morning, Ramey said, but it will probably be wet, with 1 to 2 inches of accumulation at most. Scattered showers will carry into the afternoon and likely become a mix of snow and rain.
Meanwhile, the San Juan Mountains and Purgatory are looking at 6 to 12 inches of snow this weekend, with another 4 to 8 inches predicted for a second wave coming through Monday. But again, precipitation is tenuous for Durango.
On Sunday morning, the low is expected to be around 10 to 12 degrees in Durango and plummet to below zero Wednesday or Thursday – probably the coldest air of the season thus far, Ramey said.
The Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado State Patrol are prepared for a flurry of calls and advise drivers to be cautious on the roads or avoid driving altogether if possible.
“Our crews say please be prepared for ice early Saturday morning and certainly on bridges and ramps,” CDOT spokesperson Nancy Shanks said. “We’re going to have some wet, heavy snow and things are going to get really cold.”
If motorists see white patches on roads, they should assume it’s ice, she said.
In the high country around Silverton and Ouray, there is a high possibility crews will have to do avalanche-control work as early as Saturday morning on Red Mountain Pass and other areas. Motorists should expect delays.
While the days ahead look like they could be a headache for road and public safety agencies, it’s a blessing for local businesses.
“Tires and chains, that’s pretty much all we’ve sold today,” Four States Tire & Service Assistant Manager Chance Epperly said Friday. “I would have to say five pair of chains and 25 sets of snow tires.”
jpace@durangoherald.com
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