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Springtime in the Rockies

S.W. Colorado sees chance of snow for a couple of days
“When it’s not blowing, it’s really nice,” said Fort Lewis College junior business major Janell Bronston, left, who was out strumming her guitar with sophomore biochemistry major Harrisetta Sandoval on Thursday afternoon near the rim trail. Southwest Colorado could be in for a couple of days of a rain-snow mix if the National Weather Service’s forecast holds true.

Southwest Colorado could be in for 2½ days of snow if the National Weather Service’s forecast pans out.

Only a 20 percent chance of a rain-snow mix existed for Durango on Thursday night, but the probability will grow to 50 percent by Friday night before declining to 30 percent for Saturday. Friday’s high for Durango still is expected to hit 53 with a high of 62 on Saturday. Friday night’s low is expected to be 31.

In Silverton, the chance for snow is much greater with a 30 percent chance Thursday, increasing to 50 percent for both Friday and Saturday. The weather service even expects accumulations in Silverton: 1 to 3 inches Thursday, 3 inches during the day Friday and up to another 2 inches Friday night. Lows will be in the 20s and teens in Silverton.

The storm is expected to move out of Southwest Colorado on Saturday night.

The spring storm is moving slowly across all of Colorado, and a dump of more than 2 feet of snow is expected in parts of the central mountains by the end of Friday.

Depending on how slowly the system moves, the National Weather Service says higher elevations in Larimer and Boulder counties could see up to 3 feet of heavy, wet snow because of up-slope winds. Mountains in western Colorado could get up to a foot.

The Front Range is expected to get from 2 to 4 inches of wet snow mixed with rain, and some thunderstorms also are possible on the Eastern Plains.

Crashes on snowy Interstate 70 temporarily closed portions of the highway Thursday.

The snow will give a boost to Colorado’s below-average snowpack, but all the new snow will increase the danger of avalanches.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center said conditions quickly could become dangerous in the northern mountains, as well as the Sangre de Cristo Mountains above the San Luis Valley.



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