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Finally, a winter wonderland

Farmers and ski operators breathing a little easier

If someone didn’t wake you to tell you, then maybe the roaring plows did.

Durango received about 4.5 inches of snow early Sunday morning, and it kept coming. By 4:30 p.m., Durango totals reached 8.5 inches. Higher elevations show more accumulation – 10 inches fell at Molas Lake, according to the Natural Resource Conservation Service. Before the sun set, Joe Marciante, reported 11 inches from his Hermosa home.

Much of the region, including Lake City, Silverton, Telluride, Rico, Dolores, Cortez, Hesperus, Durango, Bayfield and Ignacio, remains under a winter storm warning until midnight Monday.

James Plate, co-owner of Fields to Plate Produce in Hesperus, said he loves to see the new snow and so does his garlic.

“The more snowpack at elevation, the better things are going to be for all of us trying to get irrigation to our crops later in the season,” he said. “Some of the irrigation ditches have been shut off as early as the first week of August. That can make things really hard.”

Numerous fender-benders, cars sliding off roadways and a few single-vehicle rollovers had been reported around Southwest Colorado by Sunday afternoon, but most were minor incidents with property damage and no injuries, officials said.

In addition, three small power outages in southern La Plata County, affecting about 25 La Plata Electric Association customers, had been resolved by the afternoon, and power was restored.

Durango School District 9-R will make a decision Monday morning if schools will be in session for the day.

Nancy Shanks, spokeswoman with the Colorado Department of Transportation, said crews are working in shifts.

She advised drivers to avoid traveling and to use caution in the adverse conditions if they must get behind the wheel.

“It’s a good reminder to take it nice and slow,” she said. “Don’t worry about people passing you; just take it easy.”

The winter storm warning, according to the National Weather Service, indicates that heavy snow is occurring or is expected, with high winds and gusts up to 30 mph. Blowing snow is also predicted for much of the target area – the northwestern and southwestern San Juan Mountains – as well as a mix of rain and snow, making travel highly dangerous or impossible. Cold temperatures will lead to icy road conditions overnight, and 1 foot to 2 feet can be expected, with the heaviest snow falling Sunday night and into Monday.

Sunday morning, eight departing flights and four arrivals had been canceled or delayed at Durango-La Plata County Airport, but later flights were maintaining the schedule, with only one delay. In Denver, where a foot of snow and icy conditions have brought much of the airport to a standstill, more than 140 flights were canceled.

Shanks said across the state, CDOT is on top of the storm.

“They’re still on around the clock and storm patrol shifts, and everyone is on standby, just taking their turn getting out there in the plows and the snowblowers,” she said.

With snow falling fast on sunbaked, icy layers of older snow in the mountains, many of the suspect avalanche paths over U.S. Highway 550 north of Durango are expected to be troublesome.

“It’s looking likely they’ll have to do some avalanche mitigation and control work,” Shanks said. On Red Mountain Pass, that work began about 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Delays should be expected.

Chain laws are in effect for commercial vehicles on Colorado Highway 145 at Lizard Head Pass, on U.S. Highway 550 at Coal Bank and Molas passes and on U.S. Highway 160 on Wolf Creek Pass.

Shanks said travelers can check www.cotrip.org for the latest closures and conditions.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center raised its avalanche conditions forecast to “considerable” for nearly the entire mountain region of the state. For Monday, CAIC has issued a “high” status for the northern and southern San Juan Mountains, noting extremely dangerous snow conditions. The center also advises no traveling in avalanche terrain.

Meanwhile, skiers are flocking to the slopes in hopes of some fresh tracks. Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort received 10 inches of snow as of Sunday evening, and the powder was still falling. The upper end of the forecast predicts up to 2 feet at DMR before the storm’s end.

Telluride, at the tail end of the storm, reported 1 inch early Sunday with more on the way.

Wolf Creek Ski Area reported 14 inches at the summit as of noon Sunday. Wolf Creek is predicted to receive the heaviest storm totals in Southwest Colorado – approaching 3 feet – in its forecast.

Silverton Mountain reported 4 inches early Sunday.

Amid all the fuss, the Tillery family spent Sunday afternoon building snow castles in Buckley Park.

“We live in a townhouse, so we don’t actually have any snow in our backyard, so we come to the park,” said Adrian Tillery, where his wife, Jessica, their daughter, Josephine, 4, and son, Henry, 1, were enjoying a winter’s day.

“It’s too nice out,” Adrian Tillery said. “We haven’t had this snow.”

More of this snow is likely, with a 70 percent chance for Monday with a high of 37 and a low of 25. On Tuesday, the weather service forecasts a 50 percent chance of snow, a high of 39 and a low of 16. Wednesday is expected to be sunny.

bmathis@durangoherald.com

Weather information

The Colorado Department of Transportation reminds drivers to check for updated weather information:

Visit www.cotrip.org 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 www.coloradodot.info by clicking on the green cellphone icon and choose from a list of subscription options.

Follow @coloradodot on Twitter for traveler information and other news.

Like CDOT at www.facebook.com/coloradodot and receive major updates regarding traveler information and other CDOT news.

Visit www.coloradodot.info/travel/winter-driving to get information about 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

Feb 22, 2015
Schools in session; avalanche work on mountain passes


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