Back-to-back storms are expected to bring moisture this weekend to Southwest Colorado, including nearly a foot of snow to the San Juan Mountains.
The first storm is expected to be a quick one, arriving Friday night and disappearing by sunrise Saturday, said Chris Cuoco, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
Elevations above 7,000 feet are expected to receive snow, including 2 to 3 inches in the San Juan Mountains, he said. Lower elevations, including Cortez, Durango and Pagosa Springs, will likely see only rain.
“In the Durango area, it’s going to be warm and wet with snow in the mountains,” he said.
The second storm is expected to arrive Saturday afternoon, bringing snow above 7,500 feet in elevation, with the snowline dipping to about 6,500 feet on Sunday, Cuoco said. Based on early weather models, forecasters are calling for another 5 to 6 inches of snow in the San Juan Mountains from the second storm.
“It looks like the second shot is going to be the most significant of the two, with periods of rain in Durango and periods of snow in the mountains,” Cuoco said. “All of this is coming from the south with southerly flow, so it’s going to be warm with rain at the lower elevations and snow pretty high up.”
The second storm is expected to clear out Monday, making way for clear skies most of the day Tuesday. But a westerly storm is expected to arrive Tuesday night, which will stick around through Thursday night, bringing cooler temperatures and possibly more snow to the lower elevations, Cuoco said.
shane@durangoherald.com
