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Southwest Colorado can expect a Martin Luther King Jr. Day storm to leave 1 to 3 inches in the Cortez area and up to 8 inches in the high country of the San Juan Mountains.<\/p>\n
The National Weather Service in Grand Junction<\/a> said the forecast expects about an inch in the Cortez area on Monday and up to 2 inches Monday night.<\/p>\n At lower elevations, meteorologist Chris Cuoco said roads should be warm enough to prevent snow accumulations that hinder travel.<\/p>\n Snow, perhaps with a chance of rain, is expected to be heaviest during the afternoon, he said.<\/p>\n The storm could extend through the early hours of Tuesday, Cuoco said, with the chance of snow unlikely after sunrise Tuesday.<\/p>\n In the San Juan Mountains, 4 to 8 inches are expected to fall \u2013 with the highest elevations open to snowfalls as high as 10 inches, he said.<\/p>\n A winter weather advisory is in effect from noon Monday to 9 a.m. Tuesday for the San Juan Mountains including Silverton, Telluride, Ouray, Rico, Hesperus and Lake City. A winter weather advisory means periods of snow will cause travel difficulties. Travelers should expect snow-covered roads and limited visibilities, and they should use caution while driving.<\/p>\n The remainder of the week in Southwest Colorado is expected to be clear with the exception of a light dusting of snow that could occur Wednesday morning at the highest elevations of the San Juans, Cuoco said.<\/p>\n The next storm to impact Southwest Colorado isn\u2019t expected until Jan. 28, he said.<\/p>\n According to Natural Resources Conservation Service Colorado SNOTEL<\/a> as of Sunday the Animas, Dolores, San Juan and San Miguel river basins in Southwest Colorado contain 97 percent of their 30-year snowpack. The Upper Rio Grande Basin contains 86 percent of the 30-year snowpack.<\/p>\n All other river basins in Colorado are above the 30-year snowpack with the Arkansas River Basin leading the pack at 131 percent of the 30-year average.<\/p>\n Snowpack for the entire state of Colorado is at 106 percent of the 30-year average as of Sunday.<\/p>\n