SNOW! Winter Weather Advisory until Friday afternoon then Winter Storm Watch through Sunday for #LaPlataCo mountains

Southern San Juans expected to see significant snowfall through weekend. Durango might even see a bit falling although rain is expected as well.

 

COZ012-018-019-UTZ028-280530-

/O.EXT.KGJT.WS.A.0008.140301T0000Z-140303T0400Z/

/O.CON.KGJT.WW.Y.0022.000000T0000Z-140228T1600Z/

WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS-NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS- SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CRESTED BUTTE...TAYLOR PARK...MARBLE...

OURAY...TELLURIDE...LAKE CITY...SILVERTON...RICO...HESPERUS...

MONTICELLO AND VICINITY

230 PM MST THU FEB 27 2014

 

..WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM MST FRIDAY ABOVE 9000 FEET...

..WINTER STORM WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING...

 

THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ABOVE 9000 FEET REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM MST FRIDAY.

 

* TIMING: WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY

  MORNING. A WINTER WEATHER WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY

  EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING.

 

* ELEVATION: FOR THE ADVISORY...ABOVE 9000 FEET. FOR THE

  WATCH...STARTING ABOVE 8000 FEET BEFORE DROPPING TO MOUNTAIN

  BASES.

 

* SNOW ACCUMULATION: 4 TO 9 INCHES IN THE ADVISORY. FOR THE

  WATCH...12 TO 18 INCHES POSSIBLE WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS IN

  EXCESS OF 2 FEET ON FAVORED SOUTH AND WEST FACING SLOPES.

 

* WINDS: FOR WATCH AND THE ADVISORY...SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS

  GUSTING OVER 40 MPH AT TIMES.

 

* VISIBILITY: RESTRICTED TO LESS THAN ONE MILE AT TIMES IN SNOW

  AND BLOWING SNOW.

 

* IMPACTS: MOUNTAIN TRAVEL WILL BE HAZARDOUS AT TIMES WITH ICY

  SNOW PACKED ROADS AND AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW.

 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

 

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES...AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

 

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AND/OR BLOWING SNOW THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

 

&&

 

More rounds of Winter weather headed into #LaPlataCo

Winter Storm Watch for the San Juan Mountains with another 10-20in expected. Snow also expected Thursday through Saturday in Durango and surrounding lower elevations.

Plan for extra time on your commute so you can take it easy

COZ018-019-051930-

/O.CON.KGJT.WS.A.0006.140206T0700Z-140209T0100Z/

NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...OURAY...TELLURIDE...LAKE CITY...

SILVERTON...RICO...HESPERUS

420 AM MST WED FEB 5 2014

..WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON...

A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

* TIMING: LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TONIGHT AND CONTINUE

  ON AND OFF THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON...WITH SOME PERIODS OF

  MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL POSSIBLE.

* SNOW ACCUMULATION: 10 TO 20 INCHES POSSIBLE BY LATE SATURDAY.

* WINDS: LOCAL GUSTS TO 25 MPH WILL OCCUR...PRIMARILY ABOVE

  TIMBERLINE OR EXPOSED AREAS.

* VISIBILITY: BELOW 1 MILE AT TIMES IN THE HEAVIER SNOWFALL.

* IMPACTS: SNOW PACKED OR ICY ROADS AND POOR VISIBILITIES WILL

  MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS ESPECIALLY OVER MOUNTAIN PASSES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS AND/OR BLOWING SNOW THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL.

CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

Lots of cars off the road, crashed and stranded this morning. Slow down!

We have another chance to show how to drive drive safe on snow and ice with another wave of snow Thursday

 

Good News: There is lots of new snow on the slopes and more coming. Bad News: Avalanche danger is increasing

Backcountry avalanche conditions are dangerous in the mountains of Colorado. A winter storm running from January 28 through February 1 added very large amounts of new snow across the state. The avalanche danger will slowly ease through the weekend, but the snowpack remains at a precarious balance, waiting for a trigger like a skier, snowmobiler, snowboarder, or snowshoer. Backcountry travelers will easily trigger avalanches large enough to bury or kill a person. Some avalanches may break into older snow near or at the ground, and become very large and destructive.

Avalanches may be triggered from a distance or the bottom of a slope. Multiple people could cross a slope before it avalanches. Safe backcountry travel will require conservative decision-making and careful route finding to avoid avalanche terrain.

http://avalanche.state.co.us/

 

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO

340 AM MST MON FEB 3 2014

 

COZ009-013-018-019-031900-

/O.CON.KGJT.WS.W.0005.000000T0000Z-140205T0600Z/

GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS-FLATTOPS-NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-

SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SKYWAY...BUFORD...TRAPPERS LAKE...

OURAY...TELLURIDE...LAKE CITY...SILVERTON...RICO...HESPERUS

340 AM MST MON FEB 3 2014

 

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM MST

TUESDAY...

 

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM MST TUESDAY.

 

* TIMING: SNOW WILL DEVELOP THIS MORNING WITH OCCASIONAL SNOW CONTINUING

  THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING.

 

* SNOW ACCUMULATION: TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 8 TO 15 INCHES WITH

  THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ABOVE 9000 FEET ON SOUTH AND WEST FACING SLOPES.

 

* WINDS: LOCAL GUSTS TO 25 MPH WILL OCCUR...PRIMARILY ABOVE

  TIMBERLINE OR EXPOSED AREAS.

 

* VISIBILITY: BELOW 1 MILE AT TIMES IN MODERATE SNOW AND FOG.

 

* IMPACTS: SNOW PACKED OR ICY ROADS AND POOR VISIBILITIES WILL

  MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS.

 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

 

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE

EXPECTED. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

 

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/wxstory.php?site=gjt

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=37.60672952281056&lon=-107.85316466353834#.Uu_BzPmXY4U

Days like today remind us how vital our La Plata County #snow plow drivers are.

Tell them thanks when you see them.

To help them out:
Stay back from the plow trucks
Slow down when they come your way
Don't pass without absolute certainty of safety
Never park in the road or in the plow turnarounds
Clear your driveway so you can get all the way out of the road
Be patient and remember they have a lot of ground to cover