DURANGO — Parts of Southwest Colorado are getting socked by a powerful snowstorm that’s dumping several feet of snow on the area.

In Durango Thursday night, near-whiteout conditions made it difficult for drivers to get around.

“It’s coming down pretty hard,” one woman said as she walked through Downtown Durango. “It’s been snowing every hour”.

Snow fell throughout the day Thursday and will continue to accumulate overnight into Friday morning. For locals, it’s a blessing — given the dry and dangerous Summer season they experienced in 2018.

“I think all of the snow has been great in Durango. We had really big fires last year in the Summer, so I’m hoping we actually have more snow to help with the water levels,” another woman said.

Aside from the snow, freezing temperatures made travel dangerous. U.S. 160 between Pagosa Springs and Durango was coated in ice. We found a tractor-trailer jackknifed along the side of the highway just east of Bayfield.

“Well, he came down the hill too fast,” a nearby resident said, as he tried to help the driver. “He didn’t have his chains on like he’s supposed to. [He] doesn’t even own a shovel!”

If you plan to travel around Southwest Colorado on Friday, make sure to give yourself extra time and take it slow. Conditions are supposed to remain dicey throughout most of the day.