Snow lovers rejoice, it finally fell.
Days of predicted snowfall in Southwest Colorado tapered Saturday, a storm that left about 2 inches of snow in Durango overnight when up to 8 inches were predicted just days before.
But parts of the San Juan mountains saw up to 40 inches of snow over the Thanksgiving holiday, said Megan Stackhouse, a meteorologist National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
The Colorado Department of Transportation lifted passenger vehicle traction and commercial chain laws on Molas pass around 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Purgatory Resort opened Saturday morning to almost 20 inches of fresh snow and a 36-inch base, according to its snow report. As of 10:30 a.m., the resort allowed skiers and snowboarders on 41 of the 101 trails.
The resort opened Wednesday with a 22-inch base and seven trails open.
Wet conditions Friday and cold overnight temperatures made for slick roads, at least in Durango. The Durango Police Department responded to a few vehicle-on-vehicle crashes and a handful of drivers whose vehicles veered off roads because of slippery conditions.
“We had a few (crashes), but just the basic fender benders associated with weather,” said Sgt. Will Sweetwood. “Slick roads, people in the ditch, that kind of thing.”
Colorado State Patrol reported two crashes on U.S. Highway 550 North between the Durango city limits and Trimble Lane. No injuries were reported, said Sgt. Ben Steger. At least a dozen drivers slid off highways, mostly north and west of Durango, Steger said.
The Colorado Department of Transportation reported all major highways in Southwest Colorado open as of 11 a.m. Saturday.
Overnight temperatures into Sunday are forecast to dip into the single digits, around 5 degrees Fahrenheit, Stackhouse said. Storms are expected to move out of the San Juan Mountains by Saturday evening – some high clouds may linger Sunday, when temperatures are predicted to peak in the mid- to upper 30s, she said.
Snow could return as early as Wednesday evening, but forecast models show the storm dropping much of its moisture in New Mexico, Stackhouse said.
bhauff@durangoherald.com
