County, Features

Weather whiplash downs power lines, snaps branches

Rio Blanco County went from hot, dry and smoky to cold, wet and snowy.
Lucas Turner | Herald Times

RBC | A strong low-pressure system dropped out of Canada this week, arriving on the doorsteps of Rio Blanco County residents early Tuesday in the form of freezing cold and heavy snowfall.

The wet snow and sleet combined with fully-leafed late summer trees meant snow piled up quickly, snapping branches, and by extension leading to multiple power outages. The snowfall also downed a power line in Meeker. White River Electric Association crews worked throughout the day Tuesday to resolve the outages as snow continued to fall. WREA reminded residents to never attempt removal of fallen trees or branches on or near power lines.

While summer snow is not unheard of for Rio Blanco County, the rapid change in both temperature and moisture caused whiplash for some residents, as temperatures transitioned from warm, dry and smoky to the opposite extreme.

“We have been unseasonably warm all through the month of August, and then we get hit with this unseasonably strong, cold low-pressure system dropping out of southern Canada,” said Dan Cuevas, hydro-meteorological technician for the National Weather Service, based in Grand Junction.

“It does happen, it’s not a real common thing. It is [now] unseasonably cold for this time of year. It’s not impossible, but it’s not something that we see real often either,” Cuevas said.

Meeker and Rangely residents should expect continued cold, rain and snow through Friday when things will start to “wind down.”

“Looks like there will be rain and snow showers into Thursday night, even Friday still isolated to scattered showers, possible thunderstorms. Looks like you might have to wait until Friday night and Saturday to be dry, to not have a chance of precipitation,” said Cuevas.

By Friday afternoon, temperatures should warm up, with highs in the mid 60s to low 70s. Cuevas said those forecasted temperatures look much closer to the seasonal norm for the area.

Storm damage in Meeker.
A dusting of snow in Rangely
The bright side? Early snow dino making.

By LUCAS TURNER | [email protected]om

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  • Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
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Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch.  See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Jake Blazon at bat for the Meeker Cowboys. The MHS team brought home two wins against Olathe and lost two against the North Fork Miners. The location for this weekend’s games has not been announced due to weather and field conditions. Read the full story online at ht1885.com.
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🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week.
Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! 
We appreciate all your continued support!
It's that time again! Another edition of great local news stories is 🐰 Hopping 🐰 your way this morning! Catch up on everything thats 🐣 hatching 🐣 in Rio Blanco County this week. Need a copy? Signing up is fast and easy! Visit our website at ht1885.com/subscribe to get a copy sent to your door every week! We appreciate all your continued support!
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