Snowdown – The Durango Herald

Oh, Snow you didn’t ...

Fashion, a spelling bee, bartenders mixing away, even kayakers braving the temperature-controlled environs of the Durango Community Recreation Center. Yes, once again, Snowdown ha...

DATE: Jan 28, 2015 | CATEGORY: Local News

Where do they find these words?

Spellebration challenges language lovers

DATE: Jan 28, 2015 | CATEGORY: Local News

Kayak slalom offers some athletic Snowdown fun

Durango Community Recreation Center’s pool teemed with formidably athletic children, teenagers and adults Wednesday night, where dozens showed up to compete in Snowdown’s Kayak Pool Slalom. ...

DATE: Jan 28, 2015 | CATEGORY: Local News

Testing their nerves: Kid’s Follies debuts

Durango’s young and talented debuted their acting, singing and comedic skills at the Kid’s Snowdown Follies at the Durango Arts Center on Wednesday evening. The room was pitch bla...

DATE: Jan 28, 2015 | CATEGORY: Local News

Cocktail queen retains her title

Jen Rylko, manager of Guido’s Favorite Foods, again prevailed in the 37th Annual Snowdown Bartender’s Contest at Moe’s lounge. After sampling ten cocktails from Durango’s finest m...

DATE: Jan 28, 2015 | CATEGORY: Local News

Eccentric garb abounds at costume contest

The Palace Restaurant hosted a costume contest Wednesday afternoon that yielded about 75 steampunkers who were hoping to win best costume. The event was one of the first to kickoff the 2015 ...

DATE: Jan 28, 2015 | CATEGORY: Local News

Steampunk fashion boils over

It was impossible to leave this year’s steampunk-themed Fashion Do’s and Don’ts – where many prominent, respectable members of the community frolicked on stage in states of near-nudity – wit...

DATE: Jan 28, 2015 | CATEGORY: Local News

Free public transit Friday

Need a ride to the Light Parade? Steampunk Snowdown is paying the fare for public transit on Friday. The free rides are on the loop bus routes, the trolley and the on-call opportu...

DATE: Jan 28, 2015 | CATEGORY: Local News

Punks in the window

DATE: Jan 28, 2015 | CATEGORY: Local News

Soni Stevens ... Steampunk Style!

DATE: Jan 27, 2015 | CATEGORY: Local News

Cribbage proves popular at Elks Lodge

A record 152 cribbage fanatics crowded into the Durango Elks Lodge on Wednesday for the 15th annual Snowdown Cribbage Tournament. Organizer Joni Paul had to quiet the big crowd se...

DATE: Jan 27, 2015 | CATEGORY: Local News

2015 Steampunk Snowdown Schedule

For more information, visit www.snowdown.org. All week Snowdown Theme contest, through noon Sunday, Magpie’s Newsstand Cafe, 707 Main Ave., 382-0518. Snowdow...

DATE: Jan 26, 2015 | CATEGORY: Local News

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

Oh, Snow you didn’t ...

Where do they find these words?

Kayak slalom offers some athletic Snowdown fun

Testing their nerves: Kid’s Follies debuts

Cocktail queen retains her title

Eccentric garb abounds at costume contest

Steampunk fashion boils over

Free public transit Friday

Punks in the window

Soni Stevens ... Steampunk Style!

Cribbage proves popular at Elks Lodge

2015 Steampunk Snowdown Schedule

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