Associated Press New Mexico – The Durango Herald

Crews make gains against New Mexico wildfire, largest in U.S.

Crews were making progress in stopping the nation’s largest active wildfire from spreading on Monday, the fourth consecutive day of warnings of extreme fire conditions in northern New Mexico...

DATE: May 30, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Students displaced by fire hold prom at governor’s mansion

SANTA FE (AP) – The largest wildfire in New Mexico history wouldn’t stand in the way of a normal prom for Mora High School students. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham saw to that. Students laughed...

DATE: May 28, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico wildfire nears 50% containment as weather shifts

SANTA FE – Crews in northern New Mexico have cleared and cut containment lines around nearly half of the perimeter of the nation’s largest active wildfire while bracing for a return of weath...

DATE: May 26, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico Democrats seek new gun restrictions, enforcement

SANTA FE – Responses from public officials in New Mexico to the killing of 19 children and two teachers by a lone gunman at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, are falling along partisan ...

DATE: May 26, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico advocates review plan aimed at education deficits

SANTA FE – New Mexico’s governor has presented a long-awaited plan that would set goals for academic proficiency as the state struggles to resolve a lawsuit by frustrated parents who won a c...

DATE: May 25, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Rain, snow slow New Mexico fire, but hot, dry weather looms

SANTA FE – The largest wildfire in North America slowed to a near standstill in northern New Mexico on Tuesday amid light rain and a bit of snow in the mountains as nearly 3,000 firefighters...

DATE: May 25, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Cooler weather helps firefighters battling New Mexico blaze

MORA, N.M. – Firefighters in New Mexico who are battling the nation’s largest active wildfire said Monday that cooler weather helped them prevent the blaze from growing as nearly 3,000 firef...

DATE: May 23, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

2 New Mexico tribes closer to recreational cannabis sales

SANTA FE – Two New Mexico tribes have signed an agreement with state officials recognizing the tribes’ authority to collect taxes on sales of cannabis products. The move announced by state o...

DATE: May 20, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Gusty winds fan wildfires in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado

ALBUQUERQUE – More than 5,000 firefighters battled multiple wildland blazes in dry, windy weather across the Southwest on Thursday, including a fire that has destroyed dozens of structures i...

DATE: May 19, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

New Mexico delivers inflation relief payments to residents

SANTA FE – New Mexico is delivering the first in a series of direct payments to the state’s adult residents to offset higher consumer costs amid inflation. Individual taxpayers who get direc...

DATE: May 19, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Crews slow New Mexico fires, brace for dangerous conditions

ALBUQUERQUE – More than 2,000 firefighters battling the largest U.S. wildfire dug back-up fire lines and rearranged fire engines around homes in northeast New Mexico on Wednesday in anticipa...

DATE: May 18, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

Proposed revision of Mexican wolf management plan draws fire

ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. wildlife managers want to see at least 320 Mexican gray wolves roaming the Southwest within the next several years as they try to recover an endangered species that for de...

DATE: May 18, 2022 | CATEGORY: New Mexico

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

Crews make gains against New Mexico wildfire, largest in U.S.

Students displaced by fire hold prom at governor’s mansion

New Mexico wildfire nears 50% containment as weather shifts

New Mexico Democrats seek new gun restrictions, enforcement

New Mexico advocates review plan aimed at education deficits

Rain, snow slow New Mexico fire, but hot, dry weather looms

Cooler weather helps firefighters battling New Mexico blaze

2 New Mexico tribes closer to recreational cannabis sales

Gusty winds fan wildfires in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado

New Mexico delivers inflation relief payments to residents

Crews slow New Mexico fires, brace for dangerous conditions

Proposed revision of Mexican wolf management plan draws fire

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