A cold front that moved from Utah and into Southwest Colorado early Monday was expected to dump 2 to 6 inches of snow in the Cortez, Durango and Pagosa Springs regions by the end of the day, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
The Durango School District 9-R canceled classes Tuesday, while Montezuma-Cortez, Dolores, Bayfield and Ignacio school districts announced a two-hour delay to the start of classes Tuesday morning as a result of the inclement weather.
“This decision was made in collaboration with emergency management,” the announcement said.
A winter weather advisory was in effect until 5 p.m. for Durango, Bayfield, Ignacio, Mancos and Pagosa Springs.
“Precipitation ahead of that (cold front) has been the driving factor for snow this morning, with temperatures well below freezing and quite a bit of moisture being pulled up by strong winds overhead,” said NWS spokeswoman Erin Walters.
Durango residents living in the higher mountain areas can expect 6 to 10 inches. Those living south of Durango or in the Cortez area, however, can expect lower snowfall totals.
“Moving south of Durango closer to the airport and then to New Mexico, we start to taper off with 2 to 3 inches,” Walter said about 10 a.m. “That's pretty similar to what we're expecting with Cortez. We just got a report of 1 inch already accumulating in Cortez. We're expecting maybe another 1 to 2 inches in that area as this front actually passes through.”
The Pagosa Springs area is predicted to get 3 to 5 inches, though snowfall will increase significantly toward Wolf Creek Pass.
“The snow will really be ramping up as you head closer to Wolf Creek,” Walter said. “The Pueblo office is reporting around a foot of snow with locally higher amounts, probably up to 15 inches.”
The storm is a result of a strong low-pressure system moving in from the West Coast.
“It moved in from Northern California in southwestern Oregon coastline, and it's really just started to drag due east across the northern Great Basin,” Walter said. “Because this low is so deep, it's created a really strong pressure gradient (that) creates really strong winds overhead, and so that's what's pulling in moisture from the Southwest.”
The low-pressure system will also be bringing low temperatures to the Durango area this week.
“Cold temperatures are kind of a big highlight with this system,” Walter said. “It is dragging down a very cold, polar air mass. We're looking at single digits for lows by tonight (Monday).”
La Plata County residents can expect the single-digit temperatures to last through the week, though Walter said Durango could warm up to the upper 30s by the weekend.
She also cautions travelers and commuters to be cautious of high winds and strong bands of snow coming in with the storm.
“At a higher terrain, you're gonna have some of the stronger winds closer to 30 to 35 mph,” he said. “Keep an eye on the forecast and the weather, or just account for the possibility of wintry conditions if you are out and about heading up by (U.S. Highway) 550 or along Highway 160. We are expecting strong bands of snow that could really drop visibility on the roads.”
molsen@durangoherald.com
