A series of Pacific storms have buried much of the Rocky Mountains with above-average snowfall this winter, but warm conditions have meant mostly rain at lower elevations such as Durango.
If all the moisture received last month and this month had taken the form of snow, the Durango-La Plata County Airport would have received about 2 feet in December and 10 inches so far this month, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction. Instead, the moisture has appeared mostly in the form of rain, sleet and ice.
“Temperatures have been so mild that oftentimes we’re hovering at or above freezing, and it’s more of a rain event for us,” said Tony Vicari, interim director at the airport.
Rain is preferable from an operations standpoint, he said, but he’d rather see the snow down low, even if it means more plowing and staff time to keep the airport functioning.
“It’s uncanny the fact that we’re 50 degrees in early to mid-January – very unusual – so it’s been strange for us,” Vicari said. “As long as the mountains are getting it, I can deal with it.”
Durango, at 6,512 feet in elevation, is often on the cusp of receiving snow or rain, said Norv Larson, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction. A few degrees can make all the difference, he said.
Which begs the question: Is climate change responsible for a mild winter in Durango, and, if so, can we expect more winters like this in coming years?
While the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration acknowledges global warming is occurring, Larson said it would take many more storms and several more years to make a determination like that.
“It’s hard to attribute it to global warming,” he said. “History will show whether this was the case. ... It’s more of a trend that you would have to identify.”
More specifically, the western Pacific storm track has defined the first half of this winter, he said.
What used to be called the Pineapple Express – moisture-laden storms that originate near the Hawaiian Islands – is now being referred to as the Atmospheric River – an unsettled weather pattern made of storms that blow in from the western Pacific, Larson said.
“Those systems are mild,” he said. “Durango is one of those areas right at that level, where snow and rain come into it quite a bit.”
The airport received 2.48 inches of moisture in December, which is more than double the average of 1.17 inches, and, this month, has received 0.97 of an inch as of Monday, which is almost 100 percent of its monthly average of 1.12 inches, with 15 more days to go, Larson said.
As of Monday, the snowpack in the San Miguel, Dolores, Animas and San Juan River basins was 171 percent of the median year-to-date.
The storm track is expected to clear out Monday night, making way for clear conditions Tuesday and Wednesday. But another wave of unsettled weather is expected to arrive Thursday and continue through the weekend. More rain is expected starting Thursday afternoon or Thursday night in Durango, he said.
And there are no immediate signs of more winter-like conditions on Durango’s horizon.
“The systems coming in next week do appear to be very much the same things we’ve been dealing with this year – great for San Juan snowpack, not so great if you want snow down there in Durango.”
shane@durangoherald.com