Up to a 16 inches of snow is expected to hit the high mountain passes Sunday in Southwest Colorado.
A winter storm warning was in effect from midnight Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday.
“Definitely take your time driving,” Jimmy Fowler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, cautioned would-be travelers. “It could get pretty windy, with blowing snow and reduced visibility. Add that with slick road conditions, and it can definitely lead to some hazardous travel.”
The incoming storm is expected to hit Southwest Colorado late Saturday, early Sunday. On Saturday, the National Weather Service warned that winds could reach 50 mph and snow depths in the mountains could range from 8 to 16 inches.
At lower elevations, including Montezuma County, because temperatures are expected to reach 42 degrees Sunday, the moisture is expected to appear as rain or a rain-snow mix. Fowler said the best chance for snow at lower elevations is late Saturday night, though only an inch is expected to accumulate.
The high country is a different story.
Fowler said snow will start falling Saturday night and will continue through Sunday afternoon.
Travel on area mountain passes – Coal Bank, Molas, Lizard Head, Red Mountain and Wolf Creek – is expected to be affected by the storm.
While the forecast is good news for drought-stricken Southwest Colorado, which hasn’t had a significant snowstorm in about two weeks, it may complicate the ride home for Front Range residents visiting Durango for Snowdown.
Another storm system is expected to hit the area late Monday and into Tuesday. That storm, which should be colder than this weekend’s, has the potential to bring snow to valleys in Southwest Colorado.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
Travel information
The Colorado Department of Transportation reminds motorists to check for updated weather information:
Visit
for real-time road conditions, highway closures, average speeds, photos, live cameras streaming traffic, trucking information and more.
Call 511 to listen to recorded information about road conditions, projected trip travel times and trucker information.
Receive free email/text alerts at
; choose from a list of subscription options at the “get connected” tab.
Follow @coloradodot on Twitter for traveler information and other news.
Like CDOT at
to receive news and traveler information.
Visit
www.codot.gov/travel/winter-driving
to get information about road conditions, what to keep in a vehicle during the winter, how to safely pass a snowplow, commercial-vehicle requirements, seasonal closures, snow removal and avalanche control.
Herald Staff
