Kid's Follies panorama

The Snowdown Kid's Follies sold out all three performances this year, with their final show of 2009 Thursday night at the Durango Arts Center. Click here to view a 360 degree panorama at the show. Once the panorama loads, click and drag your mouse to navigate. 

Snowdown Follies panorama

The annual Snowdown Follies play to a full house Tuesday night during Media Preview Night. The show has sold out every show for the past 26 years. Click here to view a 360 degree panorama. Once loaded, click and drag your mouse to navigate the panorama. 

Weather fit for festival

No more snow expected until next week
by Ann Butler/Herald Staff Writer




Photo by JERRY McBRIDE/Herald
From left, Aliyah Candelaria-Brugh, 7, and Lucius Anthony, 7, have some fun after school Monday sliding down a 20-foot pile of snow at Needham Elementary School. Aliyah is the daughter of Joey Brugh and Barney Siegel, and Lucius is the son of Carole Nighswander.




It's unlikely snow will be falling during this year's Snowdown "In Da Nile," but temperatures will be quite a bit chillier than in the Land of the Pharaohs.

"We're heading for another dry spell down south," said Norv Larson, a meteorologist in the Grand Junction office of the National Weather Service. "You probably won't see any more snow until mid to late next week."

Fortunately, the storm front that passed through the area Monday dropped 11 inches in the previous 48 hours on Purgatory Mountain at Durango Mountain Resort, said Liz Witte, communications manager at DMR.

"It's almost deceiving in town," she said Monday afternoon, "because it isn't snowing down here. I woke up this morning and saw we had 11 inches and went 'Yeah.'"

Larson thought DMR might get another 2 to 4 inches from the storm. As of Monday, the midway depth was 57 inches.

"There's a trough drifting down from the northwest," he said. "It looks like the storm and snowfall will move along the northwest face of the San Juan Mountains, maybe just a little over the top of Red Mountain Pass."

The Colorado Department of Transportation had declared restrictions on Coal Bank, Molas and Red Mountain passes Monday evening. All vehicles were required to have four-wheel drive, chains or snow tires. Wolf Creek was only restricted for wide loads.

Wolf Creek Ski Area had received 7 inches in the previous 48 hours as of Monday, and Larson thought that might be all it gets. Wolf Creek was reporting 87 inches Monday.

Temperatures, however, are likely to remain low as a front from the north follows Monday's storm. The weather service is predicting tonight's low at 4 degrees, with daytime temperatures in the 30s until Friday, when lower elevations will warm up to the 40s for the weekend. Low temperatures probably will remain in the teens until Sunday night.

The weather service recommends that motorists check road and weather conditions before traveling.

abutler@durangoherald.com

Themes of the past

• 2008 Ye Olde Snowdown
• 2007 A Jolly Roger Snowdown
• 2006 Disco- Do it!
• 2005 Superhero Snowdown
• 2004 Yabbadabadooorango!
• 2003 Carnaval! Viva Viente Cinqo
• 2002 Roman Around Snowdown
• 2001 Where the West is FUN
• 2000 It's Too Grand
• 1999 Can You Dig It?
• 1998 The Roaring Twentieth
• 1997 The Final Funtier
• 1996 Hot Fun in the Wintertime
• 1995 Live from Durango
• 1994 It's Snow Secret Anymore
• 1993 There's Snow Place Like Home
• 1992 Clown Around Snowdown
• 1991 Great Cabin Fever Reliever
• 1990 What Goes Up Must Snowdown
• 1989 It's Snow Fine
• 1988 Still Crazy After All 10 Years
• 1987 Romancing the Snow
• 1986 That Ol' White Magic
• 1985 The Greatest Show on Snow
• 1984 That's Snowbiz
• 1983 An Old West Snowdown
• 1982 A Winter Celebration
• 1981 Celebrate Winter
• 1980 Durango's Winter Games
• 1979 A Winter Celebration