11/9/22 Wednesday 8:20 am
I don’t have a lot to add to what I said yesterday. If this storm closed off over us, or if it were to stall at our doorstep, it would be a significant event. The odds of that happening are very low; I don’t expect that to happen.
Here is the system
It looks like the system will reach the western Colorado border between 1 and 2 pm. Snow will likely break out in higher mountains between 2 and 3 pm. It could reach our southern forecast areas between 4 and 5 pm and continue east. With the exception of Wolf Creek, most of the activity should wind down before midnight.
Here is one high-resolution model’s depiction of what that looks like. This is from noon today through 6 am tomorrow morning in one-hour intervals. The blue is snow.
It will be a dramatic frontal passage and will cause some travel issues while it is passing through so it may affect some commutes. In addition to the snow, strong winds will accompany the frontal passage. The NWS looked past the normal accumulation requirements for a Winter Weather Advisory and is concentrating on the wind gusts with the snow that will reduce the visibility. Therefore they are going ahead and issuing a Winter Weather Advisory for the 550 passes and Wolf Creek Pass.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO
230 AM MST WED NOV 9 2022
COZ018-019-100000-
/O.EXB.KGJT.WW.Y.0018.221109T1900Z-221110T0700Z/
NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF TELLURIDE, OURAY, LAKE CITY, SILVERTON, AND RICO
230 AM MST WED NOV 9 2022
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT…
* WHAT…SNOW EXPECTED. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 6 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 60 MPH.
* WHERE…NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS.
* WHEN…FROM NOON TODAY TO MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT.
* IMPACTS…PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. PATCHY BLOWING SNOW COULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISIBILITY, ESPECIALLY ON RIDGE TOPS.
_________________________________________________________
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
357 AM MST WED NOV 9 2022
COZ068-091900-
/O.NEW.KPUB.WW.Y.0027.221109T2300Z-221110T0500Z/
EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FEET-WOLF CREEK PASS 357 AM MST WED NOV 9 2022
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM MST THIS EVENING…
* WHAT…AN INTENSE BAND OF HEAVY WIND DRIVE SNOW IS LIKELY. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES. WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 65 MPH.
* WHERE…EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS.
* WHEN…FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM MST THIS EVENING.
* IMPACTS…WIDESPREAD BLOWING SNOW COULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISIBILITY. VERY STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED WHICH COULD BLOW DOWN TREES. TRAVEL ACROSS THE PASSES IN THE SAN JUANS MAY BE IMPOSSIBLE THIS EVENING DUE TO NEAR ZERO VISIBILITY.
If anything changes, I will post again this afternoon. If not I will try to post tomorrow. Thanks for following and supporting the site!
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