Mar 28, 2023 | Daily Newsletter
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
TODAY – Sunny, with a high near 47º. Wind chill values between -5º and 5º early. South southeast wind 5 to 15 mph becoming west southwest in the afternoon.
TONIGHT – Mostly clear, with a low around 21º. South southwest wind around 15 mph.
TOMORROW – Sunny, with a high near 55º. Breezy, with a southwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
FIRE REPORT
There are currently no fire restrictions in our area. Although, breezy to windy conditions keep the fire danger high for the San Carlos Ranger District.
ROADS & HIGHWAYS
CDOT
There aren’t any local construction or obstructions for today.
TODAY’S AVALANCHE FORECAST
In the Sangre De Cristo District, the chances of avalanche today are moderate below treeline, and also moderate both near treeline and above 9,500 feet. Remember that moderate does not mean safe.
According to CAIC records, in the 2022-2023 season, 19 people have been caught, 15 people have been buried and 10 people have died in avalanches.
Covid is once again rearing its ugly head in our community. Please take caution while you’re out and about. If you’re not feeling well, please try to stay home.
COVID Vaccines and boosters are available at the Custer County Public Health Agency. Call 719-783-3369 for more information.
4-H CSU Custer County
4-H is the largest Youth Development organization in the WORLD! More than 110,000 youth participate each year along with more than 10,000 leaders in Colorado.
Learn more about how to get your child involved by contacting the CSU Custer County Extension office at 719-783-2514
NEW enrollments are accepted until March 31st!
______________________________________________________________
Volunteers are needed for the upcoming Health Fair being held on April 15th. Contact Rhonda Martin at 719.783.3369
______________________________________________________________
There are 3 Board Positions open with Sangre de Cristo Electric. If you’re interested in sitting on the Board, send an email to arkvalleycoalition@gmail.com. Submit your Intent-to-Run packet to SDCEC no later than April 6th, 2023.
In Calendar news for today:
10am – Stories and Songs at the library
12pm – Senior Center lunch at the Silver Cliff Town Hall, 612 Main St.
BLOOD DRIVE TOMORROW
Custer County High School is hosting a Blood Drive tomorrow, March 29th from 12:30pm to 4:30pm. The mobile blood drive bus will be in the East gym parking lot.
TODAY, MARCH 28th
4pm – Cotopaxi Pirates Varsity Baseball vs. Centennial
Cotopaxi Book fair all week in the library at the school 8am-5pm
This week on Valley Views our host, Gary Taylor interviews local musician Richard Beattie about folk music history.
Valley Views* airs Tuesdays and Thursdays 7am and 6pm, and Saturdays at 10am, and is always available to stream on our website.
To let us know about events, birthdays, Lost and Found pets, job listings, and other community information, email us at wakeup@klzr.org. Non-profit events should be sent to calendar@klzr.org to be included in our on-air broadcasts.
Mar 27, 2023 | Daily Newsletter
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
TODAY – Partly sunny, with a high near 29º. Blustery, with a south southwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming west northwest 15 to 25 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.
FOR TONIGHT – Mostly clear, with a low around 6º. Blustery, with a northwest wind 15 to 20 mph becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
TOMORROW – Sunny skies, with a high near 47º. Wind chill values between zero and 10 early. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon.
DROUGHT MONITOR
The observed 70 inch snowpack is 108% of normal, high for this time of year. The snowpack water equivalent is 27.3%, a measure of how much water the snowpack would yield if melted.
FIRE REPORT
Breezy to windy conditions keep the fire danger high for the San Carlos Ranger District.
Despite all the snow the mountains have gotten, we are still not in the clear. Fire danger is ever-present and fire season is not too far off. Make sure that you and your family are signed up for the Everbridge emergency alert system to keep residents informed. You can download it from the Google Play store or the App Store.
ROADS & HIGHWAYS
CDOT
There aren’t any local construction or obstructions for today.
Know Before You Go… Please try to gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road.
Today’s Avalanche Forecast
A Special Avalanche Advisory is in effect for the Sangre de Cristo Range. Though slowly decreasing, the avalanche danger remains elevated after a potent storm created very dangerous avalanche conditions. You can easily trigger avalanches large enough to bury you and some may grow very large in size.
The most important thing right now is to practice patience. The good news is all this snow leads to a better snowpack in the long run, it just won’t be this week.
CIVIC MTGS MONDAY, MARCH 27
9:30am – High Country Recycling Board meeting Kirkpatrick Bank, 8 Bassick Place.
12:30pm – Planning Commission Workshop in the basement of the courthouse 205. S 6th Street.
Did you know that around 60% of our state’s land is owned by private individuals and organizations, but only 2% is permanently protected? If you don’t know about Colorado Open Lands, check our their website at www.coloradoopenslands.org
.The West Custer County library is accepting entries for their Earth Day Photo Contest themed We are Water. Voting will be posted to the Library’s Facebook Page and in person at the Library by April 22nd. Entries accepted now until April 21st.
Tomorrow, MARCH 28th
4pm – Cotopaxi Pirates Varsity Baseball vs. Centennial
Look no further than KLZR’s Community Resource Page for local information on various organizations within the community. You’ll see the ValleyStrong Community Calendar as well as the Visit Wet Mountain Valley Events Calendar.
_______________________________________________________
RECIPES
Got any simple and delicious recipes that you’d like to share? Send them to us at news@klzr.org
PHOTO SUBMISSIONS
We’re still looking for photos. We’re interested in sharing photographs in the Valley News. Pics can range from wildlife to sunsets, from flora to weather! Please send photos related to the valley and surrounding areas. You can send them to news@klzr.org.
KLZR HISTORY
Get to know us a little better with a brief history lesson on how working together can produce great results.
Mar 24, 2023 | Daily Newsletter
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
TODAY – A 30% chance of snow showers, mainly after 3pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 42º. Breezy, with a light and variable wind becoming west 15 to 20 mph in the morning.
TONIGHT – A 40% chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 13º. Wind chill values between zero and 10. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
TOMORROW – A 20% chance of snow showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 35º. Windy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph increasing to 25 to 30 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.
DROUGHT MONITOR
This week, parts of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and far eastern San Luis Valley saw some improvements due to the increased snowpack. Yesterday we received another 5 inches of snow – raising our snowpack levels to 74 inches. Snowpack levels are 35% above average for this time of year.
FIRE REPORT
The Valley News and Wake Up Call teams are always living at least a day in the future, but fire season is ever-present. Watch this space for future reports on local fire activity from Inciweb – an interagency all-risk incident information management system.
Locally speaking, Custer County is not under any fire restriction.
ROADS & HIGHWAYS
CDOT
There aren’t any local construction or obstructions for today.
Please try to gather information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road.
TODAY’S AVALANCHE FORECAST
Large destructive avalanches are possible in the Sangres, so an Avalanche Warning is in effect.
Strong winds drifting additional snow load onto leeward slopes likely has or will nudge many slopes past their tipping point. Factoring the hefty new snow amounts with looming persistent weak layers in the upper snowpack, many slopes harbor enough volume across terrain features to produce very large to historic natural avalanches capable of impacting lower-elevation areas and valley bottoms. Avoid traveling on and under steep slopes in these areas
COVID is back in the community, and is spreading fast. Please stay home if you’re not feeling well. We might think we’re experts by now, but here are some symptoms to look for just in case.
COVID tests are available and can be picked up at Public Health, Altitude Fitness, and the Library, among other places. See a doctor if you are sick. New medications are available to treat COVID.
COVID Vaccines and boosters are available at the Custer County Public Health Agency. Call 719-783-3369 for more information.
Quiet today regarding any meetings in the county.
MONDAY, MARCH 27
9:30am – High Country Recycling Board meeting Kirkpatrick Bank, 8 Bassick Pl
Got a junker you’re looking to get off your hands?
Wet Mountain Fire Protection District is in need of vehicle donations for live trainings. They will pick it up or tow it away. Donation receipt for the blue book value of the vehicle is available for a tax reduction.
Please contact WMFPD Monday-Thursday at 719.783.9245 if you are interested or have questions.
________________________________________________________
Sign up your little one for gymnastics at Altitude Community Fitness. Classes begin on Tuesday, March 28 for a 6 week session. Find more information by calling 719.783.0750.
KLZR’S COMMUNITY RESOURCE PAGE
Look no further than KLZR’s Community Resource Page for local information on various organizations within the community. You’ll see the ValleyStrong Community Calendar as well as the Visit Wet Mountain Valley Events Calendar.
Got any simple and delicious recipes that you’d like to share? Send them to us at news@klzr.org. And we’re always interested in sharing photos. You can also send those to news@klzr.org
Mar 23, 2023 | Daily Newsletter
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
TODAY – Sunny, with a high near 45º. West southwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
TONIGHT – Partly cloudy, with a low around 18º. West wind 5 to 15 mph.
TOMORROW – A 30% chance of snow showers after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 43º. Breezy, with a west wind 5 to 10 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.
DROUGHT MONITOR
Four inches of new snowfall, raising snowpack levels to 69 inches which is 126% of normal, high for this time of year. Snowpack levels are 27% above average for this time of year.
FIRE REPORT
East and Southeast of our valley, the fire danger is HIGH in the San Carlos Ranger District to VERY HIGH in the Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands (the southeast corner of the state).
Fire season is looming. Make sure that you and your family are signed up for the Everbridge emergency alert system. You can download it from the Google Play store or the App Store. Everbridge offers the most trusted information available at a neighborhood level to keep residents informed.
ROADS & HIGHWAYS
CDOT
There aren’t any local construction or obstructions for today.
An Avalanche Warning is in effect for this afternoon for areas surrounding the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. In the Sangre De Cristo District, the chances of avalanche today are HIGH below, near, and above the treeline. You can expect very dangerous avalanche conditions today, so please avoid all avalanche terrain.
Every Thursday, and as-needed by special arrangement, Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center will pick you up at CCHC at noon, drive you to HRRMC’s main campus in Salida for any specialist appointments, tests or services and drive you back to CCHC by 5pm.
______________________________________________________________
Covid is once again rearing its ugly head in our community. Please take caution while you’re out and about. If you’re not feeling well, please try to stay home.
COVID tests are available and can be picked up at Public Health, Altitude Fitness, and the Library, among other places.
COVID Vaccines and boosters are available at the Custer County Public Health Agency. Call 719-783-3369 for more information.
2pm – Round Mountain Water and Sanitation District Board of Directors meeting at the 3rd Street Gallery Building Conference Room. Discussion focused on rate increase. Please call 719-783-2604 or email peggy.quint@rmwsd.com to request a Zoom invitation and/or a copy of the proposed rate increase chart.
AARP TaxAide and the West Custer County Library in Westcliffe are sponsoring FREE tax preparation, any age, any income within scope.
Call 719-480-7230 Ext. 5 to schedule.
TODAY
10am – Adult Crafting meets today in the Library’s Community Room. Drop-by and enjoy the fellowship of local crafters. Please remember to bring a project.
SATURDAY, MARCH 25
4pm – Beckwith Ranch March Madness Murder Mystery. Join the folks at the Historic Beckwith Ranch for a unique Murder Mystery Experience. For more information, please call 719-371-3249.
7pm – Don’t miss the Custer’s Got Talent Contest this Saturday at 7pm at the Historic Jones theater, hosted by our very own, TC SMythe. Ticket costs are based on donation and all proceeds benefit the children’s programs at Westcliffe Center for the Performing Arts. .
This week on Valley Views our host, Gary Taylor interviews Sandi Dalton and Steve Broeckel from Wet Mountain Animal Welfare.
Valley Views* airs Tuesdays and Thursdays 7am and 6pm, and Saturdays at 10am, and is always available to stream on our website.
KLZR HISTORY
Get to know us a little better with a brief history lesson on how working together can produce great results.
Mar 22, 2023 | Daily Newsletter
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
TODAY – A chance of rain and snow before 3pm, then a slight chance of snow between 3pm and 5pm. Some thunder is also possible. Partly sunny, with a high near 48º. Very windy, with a south wind 20 to 30 mph increasing to 35 to 45 mph. Winds could gust as high as 70 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
TONIGHT – A 20% chance of snow showers before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 21º. Windy, with a west southwest wind 25 to 35 mph decreasing to 10 to 20 mph. Winds could gust as high as 55 mph.
TOMORROW – Mostly sunny, with a high near 43º. West wind 10 to 15 mph.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK – High wind watch for most of today. Southwest winds 35 – 55 mph with gusts up to 90 mph. Damaging winds will spread across the Valley. Possible 5 – 12 inches of snow.
Reminder: With the high winds there is always a chance for power outages. If you see downed power lines, please assume they are live. Back away and call 911.
FIRE REPORT
The strong winds combined with the low relative humidity lead to dangerous fire weather conditions.
East and Southeast of our valley, the fire danger is HIGH in the San Carlos Ranger District.
ROADS & HIGHWAYS
CDOT
There aren’t any local construction or obstructions for today.
Travel could be difficult to impossible over the mountain passes. Due to the high winds snow will be blowing, creating near-whiteout conditions at times. Dangerous cross winds are likely on north-south oriented roadways.
TODAY’S AVALANCHE FORECAST
Dangerous avalanche conditions capable of impacting lower-elevation areas and valley bottoms mean you should carefully consider any mountain travel on Wednesday, and stay well out from under steep slopes overhead.
An Avalanche Warning is in effect through Thursday afternoon for areas surrounding the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Heavy snowfall and strong winds will result in very dangerous avalanche conditions. It will be very easy to trigger large, unsurvivable avalanches. Very large avalanches will also release naturally and may be more destructive and run much further than expected, impacting valley bottoms and lower elevations. Avoid all avalanche terrain during this time period.
COVID is active in our community right now and unfortunately being unknowingly passed along by friends and neighbors. Wear a mask or stay home for a few days if you have been around someone who is sick with COVID, or if you’re not feeling well yourself. Tests to detect whether you have been infected are available and can be picked up at Public Health, Altitude Fitness, and the Library, among other places. See a doctor if you are sick. New medications are available to treat COVID.
COVID Vaccines and boosters are available at the Custer County Public Health Agency. Call 719-783-3369 for more information. You can also check KLZR’s Community Resources page.
All is quiet for today.
DMV2GO From 10 – 3pm today at the library.. First come, first served.
- Wet Mtn Animal Welfare is having their Pet Waggin’ food distribution 9am this morning at the courthouse. For more information pls call 719.430.9454
- Today the library is hosting a Team Puzzle Competition at 1pm. Puzzling teams of 2 compete to be the first team to complete a puzzle. RSVP 719.783.9138
This week on Valley Views our host, Gary Taylor interviews Sandi Dalton and Steve Broeckel from Wet Mountain Animal Welfare.
Valley Views* airs Tuesdays and Thursdays 7am and 6pm, and Saturdays at 10am, and is always available to stream on our website.
To let us know about events, birthdays, Lost and Found pets, job listings, and other community information, email us at wakeup@klzr.org. Non-profit events should be sent to calendar@klzr.org to be included in our on-air broadcasts.
RECIPES
Got any simple and delicious recipes that you’d like to share? Send them to us at news@klzr.org
PHOTO SUBMISSIONS
We’re interested in sharing photographs in the Valley News. Pics can range from wildlife to sunsets, from flora to weather! Please send photos related to the valley and surrounding areas. You can send them to news@klzr.org.
Mar 21, 2023 | Daily Newsletter
Happy National Ag Day! Today marks the 50th National Agriculture Day where we commemorate agriculture and thank all who work hard to feed the world, look after crops and livestock, and contribute to agricultural production.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
TODAY – A slight chance of rain and snow before 4pm, then a slight chance of rain after 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 47º. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
TONIGHT – A slight chance of rain and snow before 9pm, then a slight chance of snow between 9pm and 1am, then a chance of rain and snow after 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 31º. Breezy, with a south southwest wind 15 to 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
TOMORROW – Rain and snow likely before 11am, then rain likely between 11am and 4pm, then a chance of snow after 4pm. Some thunder is also possible. Partly sunny, with a high near 49º. Very windy, with a southwest wind 20 to 30 mph increasing to 40 to 50 mph. Winds could gust as high as 75 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK – Periods of moderate to heavy snow for the Divide. Sangres could get over a foot of snow.
DROUGHT MONITOR
Over 1.5 million people in Colorado are affected by drought.
Please try to save water when you can.
FIRE REPORT
There are no fire restrictions in our area currently. However, there are critical fire weather conditions. Conditions vary widely and can change quickly in the Rocky Mountain Region. For the most current information please check conditions on the forest where you will be traveling.
ROADS & HIGHWAYS
CDOT
There aren’t any local construction or obstructions for today.
AVALANCHE
In the last few days, a series of tragic accidents have occurred in the Central Mountains, and there have been many close calls throughout the state. Though it feels like Spring, the snowpack has not transitioned and still has a complicated mix of buried, persistent weak layers and crusts on the sunnier aspects. With this big storm, the avalanche danger will only increase.
Covid is once again rearing its ugly head in our community. Please take caution while you’re out and about. If you’re not feeling well, please try to stay home.
CIVIC MTGS TODAY, MARCH 21st
5:30pm – Westcliffe Town Trustee Meeting, Town Hall, 1000 Main Street, Westcliffe. Here’s the agenda and zoom link.
4-H CSU Custer County
4-H is the largest Youth Development organization in the WORLD! More than 110,000 youth participate each year along with more than 10,000 leaders in Colorado.
Learn more about how to get your child involved by contacting the CSU Custer County Extension office at 719-783-2514 or coopext_custer@mail.colostate.edu
NEW enrollments are accepted until March 31st!
Join geologist Jay Temple on today, March 21st at the All Aboard Facility at 110 Rosita Ave., Westcliffe at 10am to hear his presentation on rare earth mineral findings.
Jay has been working on a rare earth minerals project for the Colorado Geological Survey and the US Geological Survey in Custer and Fremont counties for the past three years..
On Valley Views today, our host, Gary Taylor interviews Sandi Dalton and Steve Broeckel from Wet Mountain Animal Welfare. Valley Views* airs Tuesdays and Thursdays 7am and 6pm, and Saturdays at 10am, and is always available to stream on our website.
To let us know about events, birthdays, Lost and Found pets, job listings, and other community information, email us at wakeup@klzr.org. Non-profit events should be sent to calendar@klzr.org to be included in our on-air broadcasts.
