Low temperatures are going to ensure the 17 inches of snow on the ground in Durango stays around.

The overnight low on Sunday was expected to be about minus 5 or lower, said Andrew Lyons, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Another storm system was moving into Southwest Colorado on Monday, bringing with it a 30 to 40 percent chance of snow on Tuesday night, he said.

“There’s not a lot of moisture to work with because it’s so cold,” he said.

The highs are expected to be in the low to mid-20s for most of the week.

After all the snowpacked conditions and road closures motorists faced this week, regional highways were open Sunday. Red Mountain Pass on U.S. Highway 550 was the last one to open Sunday afternoon, after crews completed avalanche mitigation.

Since a series of storms started Dec. 19, Red Mountain Pass has received 45 to 50 inches of snow. Coal Bank and Molas passes have received 78 inches, said Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman Nancy Shanks.

“They have been working around the clock,” she said of the snowplow crews.

Retail stores selling snow shovels, snowblowers and boots have also been busy this week.

Home Depot sold out of both snow shovels and snow blowers earlier this week, said Mark Ladman, with the store. He is hopeful the store will receive more in the next few days.

Kroegers Ace Hardware Store also ran out of snow shovels, said Heather Reyes, a manager at the store.

“It was pretty unprecedented,” she said of the shovel sales.

The store had only emergency car shovels and huge snow pushers in stock Sunday.

The snow has also been good for the ski resorts.

Purgatory Resort received 23 inches in the last three days. The resort now has a base of 57 inches.

About 15 inches of snow fell on Wolf Creek in the last two days to bring the total depth up to about 91 inches.

Telluride Ski Resort also enjoyed 23 inches of snow in the last three days, creating a 54-inch base.

mshinn@durangoherald.com