Self-quarantine may get a bit easier, at least for a couple of days this week, as a spring storm is expected to drop moisture Wednesday night and Thursday morning in Southwest Colorado.
The National Weather Service in Grand Junction issued a hazardous weather outlook as a strong Pacific storm makes its way into eastern Utah and western Colorado. Lower elevations around Southwest Colorado should expect rain showers Wednesday with heavier precipitation falling in the region later in the evening, said meteorologist Tom Renwick.
Snow is expected at elevations above 8,500 feet Wednesday night into Thursday morning, Renwick said. Eight to 12 inches of snow is forecast to fall in the San Juan Mountains, with the highest peaks receiving up to a foot of snow, he said. Forecasters were call for 8 to 12 inches on U.S. Highway 550 over Coal Bank and Molas passes and U.S. Highway 160 over Wolf Creek Pass.
Weather may affect driving conditions on mountain passes overnight and early Thursday, but any snowpack is expected to melt early, Renwick said.
Temperatures on Thursday and Friday in Durango are forecast in the mid-40s – Saturday could warm to the low 50s, Renwick said.
The Colorado Department of Transportation as of Tuesday morning does not expect impacts to service as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, said spokeswoman Lisa Schwantes.
bhauff@durangoherald.com
