Cold temperatures and wet conditions could make for difficult travel in the high country this weekend as a dayslong storm moves out of Southwest Colorado, according to meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
A storm forecast to dump 30 to 60 inches of snow in the San Juan Mountains over the Thanksgiving holiday missed the region and dropped moisture to the southeast, said NWS Meteorologist Kris Sanders. While some high peaks in the San Juan Mountains saw predicted snowfall totals of almost 3 feet, much of the region did not see accumulations as predicted, he said.
“There was still some snow that happened above 10,000 feet, but it wasn’t as widespread as we were thinking,” Sanders said. “On Thursday, the amounts (of snowfall) were less than we were expecting.”
Meteorologists predict snowfall until Saturday morning, with 3 inches of accumulation in Durango and Cortez and more in higher elevations, he said. Temperatures Friday night were expected to dip into the teens in Southwest Colorado, which could freeze moisture and make area roads slippery.
Durango-La Plata County Airport as of noon Friday did not have snow, and ground temperatures were high enough to prevent accumulation, said Airport Director Tony Vicari. Flights between Durango and Denver were delayed by low visibility and freezing fog on the Front Range, but flights to Dallas and Phoenix were running on schedule, he said.
Conditions are expected to clear by midday Saturday, with temperatures overnight into Sunday predicted in the single-digits. Sunday high temperatures are forecast in the mid- to upper-30s, and Sanders said meteorologists are tracking a potential storm either Wednesday or Thursday.
“It’s nothing like we’re seeing this round, but it may impact the area,” he said.
bhauff@durangoherald.com
