Pagosa Weather January ’26 Newsletter!

Happy New Year to all of our followers. Thank you for another great year at Pagosa Weather! (Select title of post to see picture)

Thursday – 1 January 2026 – 9:00am

Included in this newsletter: 2026 Wrap Up! Big Thank You Waves to Individual Donors & Our Sponsors; Calendar of events, CoCoRaHS and Contest Updates…

2026 Wrap Up

Pagosa Weather had another year of growth in 2025. Here are some of the highlights from 2025:

Website: We sent a total of 253 posts to over 1,000 followers in 2025.

Facebook: We have over 15,000 followers and our posts have averaged over 54,000 views per post in the last 90 days.

This is a summation of our community service in 2025:

• October Flood; Weather presentation, updates & coordination with emergency management and Sheriff’s office.
• Fire Weather Training; conducted five classes plus coordination w/leadership throughout a very busy fire season with San Juan National Forest, Pagosa and Columbine Districts.
• Aviation weather briefs for balloon pilots for Colorfest, Winterfest, and Young Eagles Fly In.
• Stevens Field; Established rapport with airfield maintenance manager regarding new weather observation system.
• Winter weather; Two presentations including the Winter Weather Wonder Event with the Upper San Juan Search and Rescue.
• Monsoon weather presentation.
• Chimney Rock: Presented safety class to guides.
• Chimney Rock Youth; presented weather journal workshop.
• County Emergency Management Classes; provided material for three classes.
• St Patrick’s Day Parade – set up booth.
• Conducted 5 Weather contests.

Huge thanks to the Pagosa Weather board; Vice President Udgar Parsons, Secretary Debbie McLain, Treasurer Connie Hayes, MAL Debbie McAlister, MAL Jane Weitzel and myself, Arleen, as President. The board is really integral to operations of Pagosa Weather as a successful nonprofit.

I must extend special thanks to Connie Hayes who served as our treasurer for 5 years. She has been my business advisor and helped in the transition to a nonprofit. Unfortunately, Connie cannot serve another term.

We are seeking a treasurer with bookkeeping skills. The position requires a few hours at the end of each month.  More time is required at the beginning of each year for annual reports/budgets. If you are interested in volunteering to become part of the Pagosa Weather team, please send a resume with references to Arleen at pagosaweather@gmail.com.

CoCoRaHS: First, we had a great training session this year. Also, I am proud of the job our observers did during the October flood. We added four new observers in critical areas this year.

Personal Donations

Huge waves of thanks to: Dana and Frank Snyder, Michael Zeck, Stephanie Wilson, Lori Davenport, Steve Trammel, Lisa Tedder, Ken Daniels, Doug’s View Photography, The McGuire Family, Marianne Carroll, and GoFromThere, who made a generous donations in December! Thank you!!!

In addition, I want to extend our warm gratitude to the following folks/business that make monthly donations: Deborah Fox, Ernest Otoole, Kevin Ridley, Kurt Huffman, and Doug’s View Photography! We extend our thanks every month!

What your generous donation goes towards…

Your donations help us take care of our website manager, Do at Fluid Elements, the Pagosa Weather website, commercial weather subscriptions, and other business expenses.  Most importantly your donations ensure that we will be able to provide this FREE service for everyone for years to come!

To make a donation, click on this link: How to Donate. You can donate by PayPal, Visa or MasterCard through Square, or send a Check to: Pagosa Weather, 135-F Country Center Dr. #142, Pagosa Springs CO 81147. Thank you so much for your generosity!

Shawn and I have been truly touched by the support our followers have shown for us! THANK YOU!!!

Sponsors

We LOVE our Sponsors!  They just amaze us with their support!

2025 Sponsors! (Click on the sponsor’s name to follow link to their website.)

Blizzard Level Sponsor: Ski & Bow Rack

Snowman Level Sponsors

Alley House

Pagosa Springs Medical Center

Terry’s Colorado Home Supply & Ace Hardware

Snowball Level Sponsors

Peggy Andrews, Independent Real Estate Broker

Dr. Leo Milner, D.C., Chiropractic Services

Pagosa Mountain Sports

Pagosa Wilderness + Pagosa Rafting Outfitters + A1Taxi

San Juan Sled Dogs

Storm Sponsor: The Springs Resort

Community Outreach!

Pagosa Peak Open School

Shawn and I visited both the Kindergarten and the 6th Grade classes at Pagosa Peak Open School.

We always have such fun with these kindergarten little scientists. We are amazed at their questions and their stories.

We did pressure, cloud, wind, and static electricity experiments. As always, learning about winds with bubbles was very popular!

With the 6th graders we discussed the Pagosa winter setup pattern. The discussion included airmasses, basic jet, and frontal concepts. Then we focused on snow formation at Wolf creek. They all love snow!

We were amazed at the great questions they asked and the discussions it sparked. And they love their Pagosa Weather yardsticks.

Huge thanks to their teachers Rue Graham and Lena Green for inviting us.

Winterfest! January 16th – 18th, 2026!

First, Shawn and I will be providing aviation weather support to the balloon pilots doing the early morning mass ascension flights.

Battle of the Soups! Friday, January 16, 2026 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM Follow this link to get tickets! Archuleta County Fairgrounds

Bonfire! Friday, January 16, 2026 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM Live music by Wonder Bread. Archuleta County Fairgrounds. Note: If you have a live Christmas tree to dispose of, you can drop off trees at the Archuleta County Fairgrounds from December 26 through January 15.

Hot Air Balloon Mass Ascensions! Uptown in the Pagosa Lakes Area – Saturday & Sunday. Viewing starts at 8:30 am.

16th Annual Penguin Plunge! Saturday 1 PM at the Visitors Center. Support your favorite non-profits by raising money and plunging into the freezing cold San Juan River, or enjoy the view from the San Juan River Walk.

Buckaroos Winterfest Breakfast Ride! Sunday, Jan 18th. Celebrate Winterfest with a delicious breakfast and horse-drawn ride.

Skijoring Returning in 2026 by Skis & Saddles!!! Saturday, Jan. 17th, 10-6 PM & Live Band 8 PM. Sunday, Jan. 18th, 10-4 PM. $15 per adult entire weekend or $10 per day, 12 and under are free with an adult. Follow this link to get tickets.

BB Gun Biathlon! Saturday, Jan. 17th, 9-Noon. Yamaguchi Park. Pagosa Nordic Club will offer a 12km / 4km / KidK biathlon with Red Ryder BB guns. No gun or shooting experience needed. Great fun for all ages! Follow this link to register.

Cross Country Ski Clinic! Sunday, Jan. 18th, 10am, Cloman Park. Skate ski and classic cross country ski basics will be shared by some of Pagosa Springs’ best skiers. All free of charge. Registration is required. Follow this link to register.

9th Annual Barkus Parade! Saturday, Jan. 17th, 9:30-11:30 AM, Town Park. Dress your pet and let’s boogie down the riverwalk.

Sledz on Rez! Saturday, Jan. 17th, Reservoir Hill, 2:30pm. Registration at 1 PM *Weather contingent.

We’ll have a detailed weather post out about a week before the event.

Pagosa Weather Calendar News

• Jan 16-18th, 2026: WinterFest!!!
• July 4th, 2026: America’s 250th birthday/Colorado’s 150th birthday Celebration at Yamaguchi Park. Pagosa Weather will be passing out Pagosa Weather bike water bottles (filled with water).

If any teachers or organizations would like a Pagosa Weather class or presentation, send an email to Arleen at pagosaweather@gmail.com.

CoCoRaHS Newsletter Updates

A huge welcome to Terrie in southern Mineral County at 8,800 feet! This fills one of our critical areas. We’re excited to see her reports.

Pagosa Weather is the Archuleta County “CoCoRaHS Coordinator” and “Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador”.

HELP! Do you or do you have a friend that lives in one of the six areas highlighted below?

Archuleta County is well represented but we still have BIG data gaps. We really need a volunteer in southern Hinsdale County, west Highway 160, Arboles, Pagosa Junction, Dulce, and Upper Blanco. Sign up by filling out this web page: https://www.cocorahs.org/application.aspx. Or send us a note and we can send you more detailed information.

Perhaps, our February 2026 Newsletter will show fewer red circles!

Weather Data Lovers, CoCoRaHS has released CoCoRaHS Data Explorer, or “DEx” for short.  This tool provides countless new ways to visualize and analyze data.  Note: it is highly recommended to use larger screens when viewing the DEx.
Click here to go to the DEx Station Search page for data access to any station in the database. (open to the public)

The red circles are areas we could use a CoCoRaHS observer. Let us know if you can give us 5 to 10 minutes every morning to measure precip and snow. CoCoRaHS provides all the training you need.

Note: We have a part time observer in the Upper Blanco. Ricky is only here during the summer. We really need a full time CoCoRaHS observer up that way to measure all those winter snows.

Pagosa Weather December SUMMARY & January Outlook News

Shawn will have his December SUMMARY & my January Outlook out today or tomorrow.

Contest Updates

Special Thanks to our sponsor businesses that have stepped forward to sponsor our weather contests. They are a lot of fun!

Upcoming Contests

Active Contest – First 24″ of Snow Winter 2023/2024

Forecast the date and time we measure 24” of snow depth on the ground.  The person with the closest guess will get a $100 gift certificate to Alley House! Note: This contest is closed to any new guesses.

The Pagosa Weather Team will determine and verify the 24 inches of snow. The verification area is located about 7 miles north of Pagosa in O’Neal Park just off of North Piedra, past the two cattle guards at 8,030 feet elevation. Let’s have fun and support our local businesses!

Huge “Thanks” to Joni, Martin, Landon, Alisa and the entire team at Alley House for their support and sponsoring this contest!

Good Luck to everyone!

1/2/2026 2:00 Diane Teachworth
1/2/2026 6:00 Meg Wempe
1/3/2026 18:00 Bobby Phillips
1/3/2026 7:00 Eric Burt
1/3/2026 5:00 Karen Faber
1/3/2026 11:30 Sarah Saraceno
1/3/2026 5:30 Phil Slusher
1/3/2026 5:00 Larinn Hilgemann
1/3/2026 10:00 Randy Green
1/4/2026 10:00 Randy Green
1/4/2026 6:00 Peggy Andrews
1/4/2026 16:30 Cindi Galabota
1/4/2026 4:30 Kimberly Puckett
1/5/2026 7:00 Jeanette Green
1/7/2026 7:30 Jeff Witten
1/7/2026 7:00 Vicki Jones
1/7/2026 9:30 Sherry Milligan
1/8/2026 7:00 Matt Martin
1/8/2026 14:30 Douglas Yeaton
1/10/2026 10:00 Dave Duquemin
1/10/2026 3:00 Teresa McGehee
1/10/2026 11:00 Cathy Abbott
1/10/2026 18:00 Deb Hayward
1/10/2026 3:30 Troy Rettig
1/10/2026 6:00 Duwain Whitis
1/11/2026 8:30 Michael Falick
1/11/2026 5:00 Larissa Terrell
1/11/2026 5:00 Lynn Robinson
1/11/2026 6:30 Anne Cook
1/13/2026 4:00 Pat Murphy
1/14/2026 6:30 Tina Edwards
1/14/2026 5:00 Julie Pederson
1/14/2026 22:00 Brad Kinser
1/14/2026 8:30 Mirick Cox
1/15/2026 23:00 Jode McKee
1/15/2026 2:00 Michelle Juneau
1/15/2026 16:30 Russ Swall
1/15/2026 12:00 Kristie Bixler
1/15/2026 6:30 Lauri Stumph
1/15/2026 12:00 Kristie Bixler
1/16/2026 8:00 Nancy Green
1/16/2026 21:30 Christine Brody
1/16/2026 16:30 Chuck Buscaglia
1/17/2026 7:00 Brady Turner
1/17/2026 2:00 Amanda Mastin
1/17/2026 7:30 Gail Young
1/18/2026 16:00 Pattye Holton
1/19/2026 14:00 Renee Cravens
1/19/2026 7:00 Lori Spencer
1/19/2026 8:00 Clayton Rizzi
1/20/2026 10:30 Paul Coleman
1/20/2026 7:00 Audrey Martin
1/20/2026 10:30 Kenny Rogers
1/21/2026 7:30 Angel Salter
1/21/2026 10:00 Andrew Studt
1/24/2026 9:30 Marianne Carroll
1/26/2026 7:30 Brad Hall
1/26/2026 16:30 Steven Rolig
1/27/2026 3:00 Musetta Wollenweber
1/27/2026 7:00 Kathleen McFadden
1/27/2026 6:00 Sheldon Burks
1/27/2026 12:00 Kris May
1/27/2026 8:30 Nacole Garlinghouse
1/28/2026 5:00 Ron Montoya
1/28/2026 15:00 Kate Treweeke
2/1/2026 Barbara Swindlehurst
2/2/2026 17:00 Brian Lawson
2/2/2026 14:00 Ed H
2/2/2026 9:00 Sarah Kinser
2/2/2026 2:00 Ellen Schmidt
2/3/2026 4:30 Linsey Holt
2/3/2026 3:30 Lesann Young
2/4/2026 9:00 Sarah Daulton
2/6/2026 3:00 Beth Kerrigan
2/6/2026 17:30 Abey Nelson
2/6/2026 16:30 Rogelyn Grigsby
2/7/2026 9:00 Lisa Vail
2/10/2026 9:30 Eric Bickel
2/13/2026 6:00 Maria De Leon
2/14/2026 8:00 Marie Omer
2/14/2026 22:00 Becky Davis
2/15/2026 16:30 Iijeffrey kushner
2/15/2026 9:00 Barbara Remien
2/15/2026 5:30 Janice Bell
2/16/2026 7:00 Susan Zoerb
2/17/2026 6:30 Coquette Collins
2/18/2026 15:30 Bryan Weitzel
2/19/2026 2:00 Kayla Cornish
2/19/2026 0:30 Bruce Wootton
2/22/2026 2:00 Marcy Haggerty
2/24/2026 6:30 Steve Hays
2/25/2026 4:30 Eileen Anderson
2/28/2026 9:30 Debbie Moore
3/1/2026 5:30 Marlys Nelson
3/2/2026 9:30 Karen Fulghum
3/3/2026 10:00 Mike Buckingham
3/13/2026 Lindsey Rios
3/16/2026 11:30 Katherine Yoklavich

Wolf Creek Seasonal Snowfall Weather Contest!

Forecast the total seasonal snowfall for Wolf Creek Ski Area on their final day of operations in 2026. The person with the closest guess wins a $50 gift certificate from SKI & BOW RACK!!! In addition, Ski & Bow Rack has offered HATS for the next closest guesses!

The ski area has had just 66″ of snow as of January 1s, 2026.

Huge thanks to Brittany & Robert and the rest of the team at Ski & Bow Rack for the support of our weather contests and for being our Blizzard level sponsor!

*The ski resort average is 360”.  Their final day of normal operation is expected to be in early April 2026.*

Good luck to everyone!