Summer isn’t officially over until Thursday, but already snowfall is in the forecast late this week for the high country.
The National Weather Service predicts lows in the mid-30s by Thursday evening and in the mid-20s by Friday night for the southwest San Juan Mountains, with a 40 percent chance of precipitation.
“We have a low-pressure trough moving into the basin Thursday through Friday,” said Ellen Heffernan, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Grand Junction office. “It will pass over western Colorado Friday and into Saturday. Moisture is coming up from the southwest along with a cold front, but the timing is somewhat uncertain.”
Depending when and how the patterns align, the town of Silverton and elevations 9,000 feet and higher can expect to see as much as 6 inches, most likely on Friday night, Heffernan said.
In Cortez, there’s a chance of showers and thunderstorms through Sunday, with highs falling into the upper 50s by Friday. Overnight lows are expected to be in the mid-30s. There’s a 60 percent chance of rain on Thursday, with a south-southwest wind of 15-20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
