Storm brought moisture and hassles

A wide region around Yuma received much-needed moisture from last week’s snow and rain, but it also brought plenty of hassles.

The storm dumped 12 inches in Yuma last Wednesday. It could have been much more, but the area received mostly rain on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning. Big flakes fell Friday morning before turning to run, and it did snow hard in the late afternoon before going away in the early evening.

Saturday morning dawned cloudy and rainy for those who ventured out for the opening of the pheasant season.

Yuma received a total of 1.31 inches of moisture from Wednesday through Saturday. The weather stuck around for so long because an upper-level low stalled bringing snow and rain all over Colorado, and east into Nebraska and Kansas, where it mostly rained.

Areas further south and southwest of Yuma received up to two feet or more of snow.

Highways were closed last Wednesday throughout northeast Colorado. Yuma schools were closed Wednesday and Thursday, as were other schools in the region. Many businesses and government offices also closed Wednesday. Y-W Electric reported power outages in southern Yuma and Washington counties.

Yuma’s football playoff game at Forge Christian in Arvada was moved from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Most playoff games were moved to either Sunday or Monday due to the tough travel conditions.

It even impacted the opening of pheasant season as the number of hunters was lower than usual for the opener.

Though corn harvest mostly was done prior to the storm, the corn that was still standing was delayed even further. It was not clear earlier this week if the heavy snow had sent many ears to the ground.

The snow in Yuma mostly had melted by the end of this past Tuesday as the skies cleared and temperatures rose into the 50s starting on Sunday. It is forecasted to stay that way throughout the week and into the weekend. There is a chance for moisture again on Monday and Tuesday.