A storm cell packed with hail and lightning moved through Cortez about 3:15 p.m. Monday, leaving about an inch of dime-size hail on the ground. Portions of Montezuma and Dolores counties were under a “significant weather advisory” until 4:15 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.
That storm could be making its way toward La Plata County, if west-to-east weather patterns hold true. The burst is expected to arrive about 4:30 or 5 p.m.
Mike Charnick, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, said the storm might move northeast, clipping Durango. “There could be some lightning and small hail for people just to the north there,” he said.
Another burst of snow is expected around 9 p.m. Monday, when a band of moisture will push its way through western Colorado, said Tom Renwick, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Heavy snowfall and blowing snow will result in hazardous driving conditions, especially over higher elevation roads such as Red Mountain and Lizard Head passes, the weather service said
Most of the snowfall will occur above 8,500 feet in elevation, he said, but lower elevations also should see snow in the air.
Purgatory Resort reported 9 inches of new snow as of noon Monday. The mountain is open daily with three trails.
“We’ll open more terrain as conditions allow,” said Kim Oyler, spokeswoman for Purgatory.
The storm is expected to blow out of the region by noon Tuesday. Another system may arrive Thursday morning, but it likely will favor northwest Colorado, in the Steamboat area. A third system could arrive Sunday, but the center of that storm is expected to travel south of Durango. And a fourth storm may arrive Tuesday or Wednesday, but that’s too far out to predict with a great deal of certainty, Renwick said.
“We’re certainly breaking out of that nothing, nothing, nothing,” he said.
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