The San Juan Mountains near Durango, Colorado, are majestic, sparkling in the sunlight and somber in the shadows. But soon they could be blanketed with one frosty layer of snow.
Although it’s 59 degrees in Durango, wintry precipitation is forecast for the higher elevations. Summer ends on Thursday, and autumn could blow in bringing 6″ of the white stuff.
The National Weather Service predicts the southwest San Juan Mountains will see temperatures in the mid-30s Thursday and the mid-20s Friday with a 40% chance of snow. That’s because a low-pressure trough is moving into the area.
Ellen Heffernan, a meteorologist at the weather service’s Grand Junction office, says it will pass over western Colorado Friday and Saturday.
Then moisture from the southwest along with a cold front may produce the snow. The most likely spots for snow cover are the town of Silverton and the elevations of 9,000 feet or more.
Heffernan adds that the timing is still uncertain, though.
It’s not unusual for Colorado to see snow early. The earliest snowfall in Denver was recorded on Sept. 3, 1961.
In fact, at the higher elevations it can snow any time of the year.
However, Durango will just get rain, and its predicted highs are 74 on Thursday and 60 on Friday. Sorry, no sledding, Durango!
