Those in the Durango area looking for a reprieve from the cold may have to wait a bit longer, said meteorologist Lucas Boyer with the National Weather Service, as an arctic air mass from the east makes its way west across the lower part of the country.
“We’ve been hovering about 10 degrees below normal,” Boyer said.
Boyer also notes that some areas in Southwest Colorado can expect the temperature to drop into the negative digits.
“You’re getting into those single digits in (high altitude) places like Silverton,” he said. “They’ll be bitter cold there. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this number go a little lower below zero for them with the amount of cold air that’s going to come through.”
An arctic air mass, which originated over the Arctic region and has been building over eastern Canada, is predicted to head south from the East Coast on Wednesday. According to the NWS, the incoming arctic front is bringing “extreme and prolonged freezing conditions” to the southern part of the country.
The arctic air mass is also bringing potential snowfall to the Durango area later in the week.
“Chances kind of tick up a little bit on Thursday,” Boyer said. “We’ll see activity coming through in the San Juans, and in and around Durango. Then things dry out a little bit.”
Boyer also thinks the cold air mass could bring more snow on Friday as well.
“We’ll get another pseudo active pattern here where we have a couple of waves coming through,” he said. “Friday we’ll see some more activity, and then we’ll dry out a little bit on Saturday.”
The snowfall, however, will not be a significant amount. Southwest Colorado, including the ski areas, is getting less snow than the rest of the state.
“We’re under this La Niña pattern,” Boyer said. “The northern mountains have been faring very well, and then the south is just not getting a lot of moisture with these waves (of cold air masses). The snow is staying to the north. It’s just not bringing a lot of snow with it to the San Juans. A couple inches is what I’m seeing on the higher peaks, but as you get down lower, there’s just not much to work with.”
Even southern cities unaccustomed to wintry conditions will experience the extreme cold the arctic air mass is bringing during a week when many will be traveling for the holidays. According to the NWS, Austin, Houston, Atlanta and even Orlando will potentially be exposed to below-freezing temperatures beginning Wednesday.
Besides preparing homes for the extreme cold weather by opening cabinets and letting faucets drip during the night to keep pipes from freezing, the NWS also recommends vehicle preparations for those with imminent travel plans this week, which can be found on its website.
molsen@durangoherald.com
