Weather forecasters say a warm, wet storm will move into Southwest Colorado midday Wednesday bringing rain and snow.
“I think a good chunk of it will be rain,” said Dennis Phillips, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The system will carry about as much moisture as recent storms, but it will also bring warmer temperatures, he said.
Rain is predicted to start Wednesday afternoon in Cortez and continue overnight. Wednesday’s high is expected to be about 51 degrees.
The best chance of snow could be Thursday morning when temperatures dip into the lower 30s, he said.
The rain could wash away some of the snow lingering on the ground from recent storms, he said.
The storm is likely to bring snow to elevations above 7,000 feet, and the heaviest accumulations will occur around 9,000 feet and higher, he said. Higher elevations are likely to receive 5 to 10 inches of snow, he said. Some areas could see more.
The storm is likely to impact regional highways. Mountain passes could become slushy Wednesday night and then snowpacked early Thursday, Phillips said.
The second part of the storm could arrive Friday, according to the National Weather Service. It is expected to be a colder system and bring a higher chance of snow, Phillips said.
A drying trend is expected for the weekend, according to NWS.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
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