First Snow, Pagosa Springs, CO, October 10, 2013

by John Farley


The first accumulating snow of the 2013-14 season came rather early in Pagosa Springs, with 3 inches accumulating on grassy areas and elevated surfaces on October 10. The forecast had been for mainly rain, but the convective nature of the precipitation allowed the snow to be pulled down to lower elevations than had been expected. The initial gust front produced wind gusting over 50 mph at the Pagosa Spring airport, accompanied by heavy rain. But within a half hour or so the precipitation changed over to snow, which continued for about 3 hours. Due to its wetness and convective nature, the snow clung to just about everything, making for a very photogenic scene - particularly when combined with the bright fall colors, which were nearing peak in the San Juan River valley when this storm arrived.





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