Weather advisories coming from the National Weather Service ran the gamut Saturday in Pitkin County and around Aspen, and it didn’t seem like the second day of summer.
A winter storm advisory calls for periods of snow above 9,000 feet into Sunday morning, severe weather popping up in the Roaring Fork Valley and flood advisories because of the snowmelt combined with afternoon rain.
The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory Saturday for areas around Aspen, the Elk Mountains and central Colorado with snow expected above 9,000 feet until 6 a.m. Sunday.
“Additional snowfall of 3 to 5 inches with local amounts up to 8 inches above 10,000 feet,” the NWS’s Grand Junction office stated in an update Saturday afternoon.
Highway 82 over Independence Pass (12,095-foot summit) remained open Saturday.
The National Weather Service sent out a flood advisory for the Crystal Valley in the morning, and storms rolled through the area that included half-inch-sized hail and 40 mph wind gusts in the afternoon.
“Recent rainfall continues to increase snow melt runoff. The flows along the Crystal River in Pitkin County will remain near bankfull through the weekend, with additional rainfall possible,” the NWS said. “Minor lowland flooding is possible along the river.”
The Sunday forecast for Aspen calls for rain and snow showers before 9 a.m., then partly sunny with a high of 58 degrees and wind in the afternoon.