After a few more days of warm and clear conditions, more mountain snow could be on the way as Pagosa Country prepares for the Thanksgiving holiday — according to forecasts released by the National Weather Service (NWS).
The likelihood of rain and possibly snowfall is expected to increase beginning Sunday and continue through early next week, the forecast suggests, with temperatures gradually falling after a Friday high of nearly 57 degrees.
“Unsettled weather looks to be the rule for much of [next] week,” the NWS reports, with “significant accumulating snow looking more and more likely” at higher elevations as November nears its end.
Atop Wolf Creek Pass, the ski area measured its summit snow depth to be 29 inches, with a midway depth of 27 inches, as of early Wednesday afternoon, according to its website. Year to date, the ski area reports 71 inches of snowfall have accumulated on the mountain — 5 inches of which have fallen in the last seven days.
Forecast at a glance
According to the NWS, Thursday’s high in Pagosa Springs is forecast to be near 54 degrees with sunny skies and a calm wind. The low is forecast at 20 degrees with mostly clear skies.
For Friday, the high in town is forecast at nearly 57 degrees with sunny conditions and a low of 21 degrees with mostly clear night skies.
Saturday’s high could reach nearly 56 degrees, with sunny conditions until clouds arrive in the evening, bringing a low of around 23 degrees.
For Sunday, there will be a chance of rain and snow showers after 11 a.m., with mostly cloudy conditions delivering a high of near 48 degrees. That night, the forecast calls for a low of around 28 degrees as the chance of showers persists.
For Monday, Nov. 25, the high is forecast at near 45 degrees with mostly cloudy conditions and a chance of freezing rain in the nighttime, with a low of around 25 degrees.
Tuesday, Nov. 26, brings yet more opportunities for showers, with partly sunny conditions offering a high near 46 degrees, according to the forecast.
River flows
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the San Juan River was flowing at a rate of 68.7 cubic feet per second (cfs) through Pagosa Springs as of noon on Wednesday.
Based on 89 years of water records, the median flow for the same date is 70 cfs, with a record high flow of 418 cfs in 1987. The lowest recorded flow for the date is 35 cfs in 1957.
As of 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, the Piedra River near Arboles was flowing at a rate of 91.9 cfs.
Based on 62 years of water records, the median flow for the same date is 113 cfs, with a recorded high of 600 cfs recorded in 1987. The record low was recorded in 2022 at 37.3 cfs.
