Telluride down to Trout Lake got its first frosting of the season early Thursday morning.
Michael Charnick, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Grand Junction, said a strong cold front slid into Southwest Colorado from the north, arriving in the San Juan Mountains sometime around midnight Wednesday.
“It’s bringing a lot of cold air behind it,” Charnick said.
During the day Thursday, there’s a chance the high country of the northern San Juan Mountains could receive snow.
According to OpenSnow.com, areas around Silverton and Telluride could receive up to 3 inches.
The Weather Service says temperatures will drop to about 35 degrees in Silverton on Thursday. The overnight low Thursday into Friday is expected to hover around 10 degrees.
Snow is unlikely, except for perhaps a flurry or two, further south of Silverton and Telluride, Charnick said.
Durango and Cortez are unlikely to see snow, Charnick said, but it is going to get cold. During the day Thursday, it is expected to be around 54 degrees. Overnight, however, temperatures will drop to about 16 degrees.
“The cold’s going to be the big story. Friday’s lows are going to be in the teens in the (U.S. Highway) 160 corridor,” he said.
A drying trend is expected after this storm, with the next chance of precipitation in Southwest Colorado not expected until Oct. 16, Charnick said.
Karola Hanks, fire marshal with Durango Fire Protection District, said it is time residents prepare their homes and property for winter-like temperatures.
Hanks said it’s likely many people are going to turn on their heating system for the first time since last winter. She said residents should make sure chimneys are cleared and furnaces are venting properly to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
She said mobile home owners should also prepare their homes for cold temperatures, like putting up heat tape to make sure water lines don’t freeze.
Lawn sprinkler systems should also be flushed, she said. And, she urged people recreating in the outdoors to take proper precautions.
By Saturday, temperatures should rise, albeit slightly. The Weather Service is calling for a daytime high of 63 in Durango and 49 in Silverton.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
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