Wet weather no drought buster

MONTROSE — This weekend’s precipitation makes for a wet period in a dry spell, the National Weather Service said.

Despite wet days on Friday and today in Montrose — and significant snowfall in most of the state’s high country — Colorado is still gripped by a drought that began in 1999.

“November was exceptionally dry for snowpack,” hydrologist Brian Avery of the NWS’ Grand Junction office said Friday.

December’s temperatures have been warmer than usual. That could prove problematic for the state because November and December are key snow-building months.

“We’re not there yet,” said Avery. “The drought is not over, not by far. The snow-building period has not been off to a good start.”

But you wouldn’t know that just by looking at the state’s weather Friday.

Avery said a “one-two punch” dumped snow in the higher elevations and made for hazardous travel. A winter storm warning was in effect for much of the region, including Telluride.

On Lizard Head Pass, nearly half a foot of snow had accumulated by Friday morning. In the Gunnison area, a heavy snow warning was in effect.

According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, snowfall and adverse conditions closed Monarch Pass from Sargents to Maysville. Colorado Highway 114 was also closed from U.S. Highway 50 to U.S. 285 due to multiple accidents and stuck semis.

Avery said the entire area is under a new system, following an earlier one Thursday that brought snow. The new system is bringing up cooler, moister air throughout Western Colorado.

“It’s the second shot of cold and moist air. It’s just adding to what happened (Thursday),” Avery said.

The Uncompahgre and Grand valleys can expect a mixture of rain and snow throughout the weekend. Little accumulation is expected for the Montrose area, partly because of unseasonably warm temperatures.

“Once you get up higher, it’s going to be all snow,” said Avery. “It’s going to be wet wherever you go.”

Motorists should be prepared for rough drives at any higher elevation, where between 1 and 2 feet of new snow is expected, as well as on I-70.

“Driving anywhere in the mountains will be a bad situation,” Avery said. “The roads are going to be slick. It’s a good day to stay home and pop corn over the fire.”

The system should taper off by Monday, and in the Montrose area, temperatures are expected to return to seasonal norms. “We won’t see the warmer temperatures we’ve seen over the past week or two,” Avery said. He expects the biggest weather to be today and tonight.