Southwest Colorado will begin the new year with subzero temperatures, a parting gift after four storms passed through the region in rapid succession, dumping anywhere from 6 inches to more than 3 feet of snow across the region.

“We have a high-pressure building, which will bring cold temperatures,” said Jeff Colton, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction. “We’ll see some of the coldest temperatures so far this winter on Sunday morning.”

Snow is expected through the morning and possibly into the afternoon on New Year’s Day, with the really cold weather starting Saturday night into Sunday morning. The low temperature Sunday morning is expected to be around minus 4 degrees.

Later into the week, lows are expected to range from around 8 to 17 degrees, with highs during the day in the mid-30s.

During the past week, from about Dec. 24 into Friday morning, La Plata County weather observers reported 6 inches of snow at the Durango-La Plata County Airport, 8 to 12 inches in Durango, 18 inches a little west of Durango, and anywhere from 9 to 22 inches near Hesperus, depending on elevation. Areas around Bayfield received as much as 2 feet of snow during the past week, Colton said.

Purgatory Resort reported 44 inches of snow within the past seven days.

Before the barrage of storms, Colton said snowpack in the San Juan Mountains was around 30% to 40% of average for this time of year. After the storms, the San Juans were at 130% of their average snowpack.

“Going into these storms we were struggling everywhere, but in the last week we’ve seen about a 100% increase throughout most of Colorado,” he said. “It’s been good, we’ll take every flake we can get at this point.”

With the arrival of below-freezing temperatures, the La Plata County Humane Society is reminding residents to bring their pets inside at night.

“If the dog doesn’t come inside, the most important thing is to make sure they have shelter, and fresh water,'' said Chris Nelson, director of animal services.

Nelson said pet owners sometimes forget outdoor water sources freeze in the cold weather.

He offered a tip for residents who look after feral or outdoor cats: Convert an old cooler into a shelter by cutting a hole in the side, large enough for a cat to get through, and put towels in the cooler to insulate it. He also suggested building shelters for pets out of straw.

“If you can’t afford a dog house you can make one out of straw bales,” he said. “You can buy six bales of straw and make a nice windproof shelter and a warm place for dogs to lay.”

Animals staying at the Humane Society shelter in Durango have heated floors to keep them warm, and shelter staff members leave the heat on for them, he said.

Outdoor enthusiasts looking to recreate in the backcountry should be mindful of avalanche terrain. The Colorado Avalanche Information Center has issued an avalanche warning through Sunday morning.

Avalanche terrain includes slopes that are steeper than about 30 degrees, said avalanche forecaster Mike Cooperstein with the CAIC.

“We recommend people stay completely away from all slopes steeper than 30 degrees, and that means staying out from underneath those slopes, as well,” he said. “Don’t go on them, don’t go underneath them. You can trigger avalanches from flat areas below slopes.”

Cooperstein said it is a matter of time before snowpacks strengthen and winter wanderers can venture out on steeper terrain.

Avalanche mitigation work is planned on these mountain passes in Southwest Colorado:

Forecasters said the next best chance for snow in Southwest Colorado arrives Jan. 8.

njohnson@durangoherald.com