2/23/23 Thursday 7:15 am
I hope to get an update on the passes within the next couple of hours.
As of 5 am the Warnings for Durango and Telluride have been allowed to expire, but for now, hold on to your totals, we’re not done yet. I also recognize that the winds made it impossible for many to measure and accurately keep track of the totals. If I do a recap it won’t likely be until Saturday morning.
There is a chance we’ll be in a lull later this morning, before snow redevelops later today, tonight, and tomorrow morning. Expect a return of the snow squalls throughout the forecast area this afternoon and the potential for heavier snow to develop tonight, mainly over areas that do well in SW flow.
In the lower elevations, a new Winter Weather Advisory begins at 11 am for Cortez, Dove Creek, Mancos, Dolores, and potentially the western mid-elevations DW 1&2, Durango Ridge Ranch, and Hesperus.
The NWS is particularly enamored with a heavy snow band setting up tonight over the above-mentioned areas. I have seen this in the models a number of times, but often times it will set up over the entire southern portions of the forecast area. So Durango, Bayfield, Ignacio, Shenandoah, Trappers Crossing, Long Hollow, CR125 area as well as the entire 160 corridor should be aware of this potential.
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PUEBLO CO
458 AM MST THU FEB 23 2023
COZ068-232000-
/O.EXP.KPUB.BZ.W.0001.000000T0000Z-230223T1200Z/
/O.CON.KPUB.WS.W.0006.230223T1200Z-230224T1800Z/
WOLF CREEK PASS EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FEET-
458 AM MST THU FEB 23 2023
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST
FRIDAY...BLIZZARD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 5 AM MST EARLY THIS MORNING
* WHAT...HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO 2
FEET. WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 55 MPH.
* WHERE...EASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS ABOVE 10000 FEET COUNTY.
* WHEN...UNTIL 11 AM MST FRIDAY.
* IMPACTS...TRAVEL COULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE.
WIDESPREAD BLOWING SNOW COULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISIBILITY.
THE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS COULD IMPACT THE MORNING OR EVENING
COMMUTE. GUSTY WINDS COULD BRING DOWN TREE BRANCHES. THE COLD
WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS 30 BELOW ZERO COULD CAUSE FROSTBITE ON
EXPOSED SKIN IN AS LITTLE AS 30 MINUTES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
IF YOU MUST TRAVEL, KEEP AN EXTRA FLASHLIGHT, FOOD, AND WATER IN
YOUR VEHICLE IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN
BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1.
COZ019-232300-
/O.CON.KGJT.WS.W.0006.000000T0000Z-230225T0000Z/
SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF SILVERTON, RICO, AND HESPERUS
456 AM MST THU FEB 23 2023
..WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST FRIDAY
* WHAT...HEAVY SNOW. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 7 TO 14 INCHES
WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS UP TO 20 INCHES POSSIBLE BY WOLF
CREEK PASS. WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 45 MPH. THE HEAVIEST SNOW
IS EXPECTED TO FALL TONIGHT.
* WHERE...SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS.
* WHEN...UNTIL 5 PM MST FRIDAY.
* IMPACTS...TRAVEL COULD BE VERY DIFFICULT. WIDESPREAD BLOWING
SNOW COULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISIBILITY. GUSTY WINDS COULD
BRING DOWN TREE BRANCHES.
COZ021-232300-
/O.EXP.KGJT.WS.W.0006.000000T0000Z-230223T1200Z/
/O.CON.KGJT.WW.Y.0015.230223T1800Z-230224T1500Z/
FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF CORTEZ, DOVE CREEK, AND MANCOS
456 AM MST THU FEB 23 2023
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS
MORNING TO 8 AM MST FRIDAY ABOVE 6500 FEET...
* WHAT...SNOW EXPECTED ABOVE 6500 FEET. TOTAL SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS
FOCUSED ON THE HIGHWAY 141 AND 491 CORRIDOR INCLUDING THE TOWN
OF DOVE CREEK. WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 40 MPH.
* WHERE...FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER.
* WHEN...FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 AM MST FRIDAY.
* IMPACTS...PLAN ON SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS. PATCHY BLOWING
SNOW COULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISIBILITY, ESPECIALLY IN OPEN
AREAS. THE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS COULD IMPACT THE MORNING OR
EVENING COMMUTE.
I will be updating throughout the day. Thanks for following and supporting the site!