Cortez woke up to another 5 inches of snow Tuesday morning, after seeing about 8 inches over the weekend.
A winter weather advisory remained in effect until 5 p.m. Tuesday for areas around Durango, Bayfield, Ignacio, Cortez, Mancos, Pagosa Springs and Dove Creek, and snow continued to fall in the San Juan Mountains.
The western San Juan Mountains saw 4-12 inches of new snow, with the storm favoring southern slopes, said National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Charnick.
Lower elevations had 2 to 5 inches.
“Cortez did the best out of the lower valleys,” he said.
Tuesday morning, scattered snowfall continued in the Monticello and Dove Creek areas and slowed travel on U.S. Highways 160 and 491.
Back-to-back storms have improved snowpack for the Dolores Basin, which is relied on by McPhee Reservoir.
The Dolores Basin snow-water equivalent was at 85% of the 30-year median as of Feb. 16, up from 76% Feb. 8, according to four Snotels that record snowpack and water content in the basin.
Overall, Southwest Colorado snowpack is showing 89% of the median in the Dolores, San Miguel and Animas Basins. Statewide, snowpack was at 91% of normal.
The latest storms are a result of the jet stream dipping south from the northwest and bringing a cold air mass with moisture for snow and rain, Charnick said.
The forecast for Cortez shows sunny weather with Thursday reaching 36 degrees and Friday hitting 42 degrees. The low for Wednesday is 5 degrees, and for Thursday it is 7 degrees.
There is a slight chance for rain and snow Saturday evening. Sunny skies are expected Sunday, with a high near 40.
The El Niño weather pattern that favors a more northern jet stream that tends to miss the Four Corners is still in effect, Charnick said, but variations are allowing it to dip down south and dump much needed moisture.
The chance for light snow remains until Wednesday, with clear skies forecast for Thursday and Friday.
Montezuma-Cortez School District RE-1 schools were closed for in-person learning Tuesday because of icy roads and blowing snow.
According to Superintendent Lori Haukeness, students took classes remotely if they could. Some elementary students couldn’t participate remotely because their laptops were at school.
“The roads were extremely slick today, but we’ll definitely be back in session tomorrow,” Haukeness said.
Schools in Mancos, Dolores and Durango reported no delays and continued as usual with in-person learning.
Jim Andrus, a weather watcher in Cortez, said more than 7.6 inches fell by 9 a.m. Monday.
“We’ve had a really significant change in our weather pattern,” he said. “We’re doing some catching up now. The dry pattern ended about the middle of January, and suddenly we started getting some good amounts of precipitation.”
By Monday, Cortez was at 101% of average snowfall for February. He reported Cortez was at 97% of average snowfall for the year, with 27.7 inches.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center issued an avalanche warning Tuesday for the northern San Juan Mountains, including San Juan County. The risk in the southern San Juans was “considerable.”
U.S. Highway 160 at Red Mountain Pass was closed Tuesday morning for avalanche mitigation.
The Colorado Department of Transportation closed the roadway at 7 a.m. Tuesday between mile markers 79 and 82, effectively closing the route between Silverton and Ouray.
U.S. 160 at Wolf Creek Pass reopened after it was closed avalanche work Tuesday morning.
Chain and traction laws were in effect for Coal Bank and Molas passes, as well as Lizard Head Pass between Rico and Telluride.
Telluride Ski Resort reported 7 inches of snow overnight, and 25 inches in the past week. It reported a 43-inch base and 55 inches at the summit.
Wolf Creek ski resort reported no new snow overnight, but 29 inches since Sunday. It had 107 inches at midway and 114 inches at the summit.
Purgatory reported 3 inches overnight, 17 inches since Sunday and a 55-inch base. Seven of 11 lifts were open.
Hesperus Ski Area, which opened for skiing in late January, suspended operations a week later. Tubing is available Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Jonathan Romeo of the Durango Herald and Jim Mimiaga and Anthony Nicotera of The Journal contributed to this report.
