Wednesday’s welcome winter weather in Durango is expected to be short-lived, forecasters at the National Weather Service say.
In what the Durango Weather guy called a “better than nothing storm,” the city got between 1 and 2 inches of snow – 3 inches at most in higher elevation zones – as did Cortez. Parts of Pagosa Springs reported up to 4½ inches and Red Mountain Pass took the cake with 6 inches of fresh snow.
But none of it is expected to stick around long, said NWS Meteorologist Erin Walter.
The quick-moving storm left Durango streets slick. Durango Police Department issued a short-lived accident alert and asked those involved in minor fender benders – where no roads were blocked or injuries were suffered – to report directly to the Division of Motor Vehicles rather than call emergency responders.
East Eighth Avenue, the winding hill to Fort Lewis College, also closed for a period Wednesday night as a result of slick conditions.
Purgatory Resort reported 8 inches of fresh snow, although a U.S. Department of Agriculture-run snow observation site located 2 miles from the ski area reported only 5 inches of snow accumulation Wednesday.
Headed into the weekend, wind and warmth will be the name of the game.
“We are seeing some warmer weather come in, and then also some wind aloft, too,” Walter said. “We'll probably have winds gusting at 10 to 15 mph down low.”
Temperatures in Durango this weekend are expected to reach the high 50s.
Two atmospheric rivers moving in from the West Coast are expected to miss the southern mountains and favor the Northern Rockies.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
