Letters to the Editor – The Durango Herald

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‘Ballot in one hand, AR-15 in other’

OK, now I get it. I don’t feel the love for Donald Trump and admittedly, never have. I’m amazed he’s not in a prison cell with the maggots who did his dirty work on Jan. 6. Trump is a liar a...

DATE: Nov 26, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘City should pay Simpson’s attorney fees’

I would like to add a couple points to the ongoing battle between John Simpson and the city of Durango regarding the open records controversy. Colorado law provides going to court as the onl...

DATE: Nov 26, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Mini-roundabout’s ‘complexities, problems’

The desire to fix Malfunction Junction (Third Avenue/Florida Road/15th Street), initially resulting in a city proposal for a mini-roundabout, has been followed by a proliferation of simpler,...

DATE: Nov 22, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Entered point of no return’

Dark and ominous days ahead. We have now entered the point of no return. Our politicians, on both sides, have agreed to continue with more than $2 trillion dollars per year of deficit spendi...

DATE: Nov 22, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Electric heating less expensive than natural gas’

It is true for my circumstance: Electric heating has proven to be less expensive than Atmos Energy natural gas. For the past two months, heating with electric has cost me about one-quarter o...

DATE: Nov 22, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Putting fox in charge of chicken coop’

Doesn’t it seem incredible that the more the breadth and depth of the former president’s mischief is exposed in the courts, the more wildly popular he gets in the polls? Not only that, but h...

DATE: Nov 22, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Asking for little help never granted’

Unfortunate end results for missing Rich Moore of Pagosa Springs, but glad his body and his dog have finally been found and, amazingly, the dog is still alive. I was in Pagosa right after th...

DATE: Nov 22, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Expected to drive 60 miles’ for school

I’m a longtime La Plata County resident, living no more than five miles from Purgatory Resort since I was 15. At 15, I was transported by bus to Durango High School five days a week, with th...

DATE: Nov 22, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Call out Boebert on genocide’

So far, there are few who have been willing to show up and support a movement united against racism, islamophobia, anti-semitism, transphobia, and above all, state-sanctioned violence and ge...

DATE: Nov 12, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Some Americans have dysfunctional brains’

My friend George was murdered in 1973 running along the beach in San Francisco. I was running with him earlier or would not be alive to write this letter. Today we are all victims of gun vio...

DATE: Nov 12, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Herald Facebook page. What a joke!’

Some years ago, The Durango Herald made a deal with the devil, oops, I meant Facebook to monitor the comments posted by readers on the Herald website. From my perspective, Facebook monitors ...

DATE: Nov 12, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

‘Vicious cycle brought Netanyahu, Hamas’

Patriarchal dominance cements its control beginning with humiliation, proceeding to intimidation and threats, then moving into violence. This vicious cycle has brought us Benjamin Netanyahu ...

DATE: Nov 12, 2023 | CATEGORY: Opinion

Hundreds attend Candlelight vigil for Cortez police Sgt. Michael Moran

Skyhawks score 41 points off turnovers Monday at Whalen Gymnasium

Snowstorm moves through the areaThe season’s first big snowstorm causes problems for drivers and makes for a winter wonderland

The season’s first big snowstorm causes problems for drivers and makes for a winter wonderland

Photos: Singing with SantaSanta Claus makes his first appearance in Durango

Santa Claus makes his first appearance in Durango

Snow descends on DurangoForecasters say storm could dump 6 inches in Durango area

A fall storm that moved into Southwest Colorado Friday morning was expected to dump 6 inches of snow in the Durango area – more than weather forecasters had initially predicted.Snow started falling about 9:15 a.m. Friday and intensified shortly before 11:30 a.m., blanketing parks, vehicles and the hilltops overlooking the city. Roads became slick about 2:30 p.m. As of 4 p.m., the Durango Police Department had responded to six crashes, in addition to a few stranded motorists.U.S. Highway 160 at County Road 44 near Mancos Hill was closed from around 4 p.m. to just after 6 p.m. because a vehicle carrying an “oversized load” had spun out and blocked both the eastbound and westbound lanes, according to Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Lisa Schwantes.“Right now our officers are able to keep up with the crashes that are coming in,” said Cmdr. Nick Stasi, with the Durango Police Department. “As always with winter weather, we remind drivers to slow down and give extra space for the cars in front.”Snow started accumulating very fast as the day went on, making it “challenging for plow operators to keep up,” according to CDOT.

Southwest Colorado’s five major mountain passes were icy and snowpacked Friday afternoon. But all five remained open as of 4:15 p.m.The Pacific storm favored the southern and central Colorado mountains, said Dave Byers, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.“Durango looks like a 70% chance of getting 6 inches or more of snow by the end of tonight (Friday),” Byers said.He expected a half inch to three-quarters of an inch of moisture from the storm, which is up from the one-tenth to two-tenths of an inch that was predicted earlier this week. Meanwhile, the mountains could receive 1 to 2 feet of snow from the storm, he said.“In the last few days, it has really picked up,” Byers said. “The southern mountains are catching the brunt of it.”The snowy weather didn’t stop Liz Ferrill and her family from stopping by Cream Bean Berry for a Unicorn Sundae. “We thought it might be a festive way to celebrate,” said Ferrill, who was visiting from Snowmass, where the first snow occurred in September.For others, the snow provided the impetus they needed to swap out tires or purchase new snow tires. Andre Payne, a sales person at J/P Tire in Durango, said the phone began ringing shortly after 9 a.m. with people wanting to switch to snow tires.“We’ve been pretty busy,” he said.

It is not unusual for drivers to wait until they see the first snow and then want to swap out tires. The tire shop began advising customers to switch to snow tires about three weeks ago. Some people take the advice, other choose to wait.“We can always tell people what to do, but if you're not ready for it then you have to suffer the consequences of waiting two hours or maybe getting in an accident,” Payne said.Byers said Friday’s storm was the result of a southwest flow pulling moisture from Southern California, Arizona and the Gulf of California.As the moisture-laden atmosphere hits the San Juan Mountains, it wrings out the moisture, he said.Temperatures are expected to cool off as the storm makes its way out of the region this weekend. The highs this weekend will be in the upper 30s, and the lows could dip into the single digits, he said.“There’s still a northerly flow that is pulling cold air down out of Canada,” he said.Byers characterized Friday’s storm as a “shoulder storm” between summer and winter, but he said it is a sure sign that a regular track is settling in for Southwest Colorado.“We’re expecting regular storms … from now on, more into that winter pattern,” Byers said.Residents can expect mostly clear conditions through Wednesday, with clouds moving in the following day ahead of another storm that looks “very similar” to Friday’s storm, Byers said.shane@durangoherald.com; mhollinshead@durangoherald.com

Forecasters say storm could dump 6 inches in Durango area

PHOTOS: Turkey Trot returns to DurangoNearly 600 competitors ran before they gobbled down their Thanksgiving feasts on Thursday

Nearly 600 competitors ran before they gobbled down their Thanksgiving feasts on Thursday

PHOTOS: Durango faces Lutheran in 3A state football quarterfinalsDemons fall to Lions, 39-30, on Saturday

Demons fall to Lions, 39-30, on Saturday

PHOTOS: Fort Lewis basketball teams host doubleheaderThe men’s team beat Western New Mexico 87-68, while the women’s team fell in the final minutes to Northern New Mexico, 67-62

The men’s team beat Western New Mexico 87-68, while the women’s team fell in the final minutes to Northern New Mexico, 67-62

Photos: Durango High School football faces Mead in 3A state playoffsThe Demons won Saturday’s playoff game, 31-27

The Demons won Saturday’s playoff game, 31-27

Photos: Veterans Day Parade

Honoring Veterans on Veterans Day

Honoring Veterans on Veterans Day

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