CDOT: Critical winter safety operations will close Vail Pass Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.

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Colorado Department of Transportation


Winter travel alert: Treacherous conditions remain on I-70 mountain corridor for Presidents’ Day traffic – CDOT maintenance teams perform critical winter safety operations beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Vail Pass to close for lengthy delay


12.17.25 Eagle County — Travelers on Interstate 70 are urged to be prepared for continued severe weather and treacherous driving conditions today. Motorists will encounter slick, ice and snow-packed roads. Additionally, heavy snows and strong winds will bring low visibility and potential whiteout conditions at times.

The severe weather and roadway conditions have caused numerous closures. Some closures have been implemented for safety, but several closures have been the result of vehicle spin-outs, slide-offs, and crashes.

CDOT photos above: Crash images captured from Monday’s I-70 westbound closure near Empire Junction/ Exit 232 and Georgetown/ Exit 228.

Natural avalanches have also been visible in the mountains today. While a video captured earlier today by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) showed an avalanche that did not reach the roadway of I-70 through Ten Mile Canyon, the danger of additional slides remains high. In addition, CDOT and CAIC teams saw results of slide control work on Berthoud Pass early this morning, after avalanche mitigation debris did reach the roadway. US 40 required clean-up and re-opened safely to vehicles.

Visitors to the high country who plan to return to the Front Range should prepare for a difficult trip. Travelers should keep extra food, water, and warm clothing readily available and be prepared for lengthy delays in severe weather conditions. COtrip.org will continue to show current road and weather conditions, as well as any road closures. Even so, the extreme weather conditions may cause additional incidents on the road as people try to return from the mountains while the storm continues to deliver heavy snowfall and high winds.

I-70 Vail Pass closure Tuesday morning

The Colorado Department of Transportation will perform winter maintenance operations on Interstate 70 Vail Pass tomorrow, Tuesday, February 18. Operations will begin at 9 a.m., and motorists can expect a lengthy delay lasting for much of the morning. There is not an exact time estimated for opening, as operations are dependent upon weather conditions and the amount of snow crews must clear from the roadway.

Traffic impacts and closure points

• Eastbound travelers will be stopped three miles east of Vail at exit 180. This closure point allows motorists to switch travel directions and turn westbound back toward Vail
• Eastbound commercial traffic is urged to stop and wait at the Dotsero commercial motor vehicle parking lot, exit 133
• Westbound travelers will be stopped at exit 195 near Copper Mountain
Motorists should plan ahead, allow for extra travel time, or arrive and drive through the closure points before the designated closure time of 9 a.m.

Visit COtrip.org for the latest information on road closures and conditions.

Visit the Colorado Avalanche Information Center’s website for avalanche forecasts.

CDOT: Critical winter safety operations will close Vail Pass Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.

CAIC and NWS: Heavy snow and strong winds can cause deadly avalanches

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Colorado Avalanche Information Center and National Weather Service

SPECIAL AVALANCHE ADVISORY

BULLETIN – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
COLORADO AVALANCHE INFORMATION CENTER
RELAYED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DENVER/BOULDER CO
436 PM MST SAT FEB 15 2025

Map of special avalanche advisory area

THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS TRANSMITTED AT THE REQUEST OF THE COLORADO AVALANCHE INFORMATION CENTER.

…A SPECIAL AVALANCHE ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4:30 PM SATURDAY UNTIL 5 PM MONDAY…

*WHAT…Heavy snow and strong winds dramatically changed avalanche conditions. You can easily trigger large, deadly avalanches throughout Presidents Day weekend.

*WHERE…Flat Top Mountains…Medicine Bow Mountains…Never Summer Mountains…Front Range…Williams Fork Mountains…Never Summer Mountains…Gore and Elk Mountains…Ten Mile Range…Ruby Range…West Elk Mountains…Sawatch Range…San Juan Mountains…San Miguel Mountains…Rico Mountains…Grand Mesa

*WHEN… The Special Avalanche Advisory goes from Saturday at 4:30 PM till Monday at 5 PM.

*IMPACTS… Easily trigger dangerous avalanches large enough to injure or kill you.

*PRECAUTION/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS… Travel in backcountry avalanche terrain requires cautious route finding to stay safe. Avoid travel on and under slopes with a slope angle steeper than about 30 degrees. You can find more detailed information at colorado.gov/avalanche.

CAIC and NWS: Heavy snow and strong winds can cause deadly avalanches

CAIC: Avalanche warnings in effect for busy and notoriously dangerous holiday weekend

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Colorado Avalanche Information Center

A person stands on a slab of snow on a potential avalanche slope.
Avalanche conditions are changing fast. This slide caught CAIC forecasters off guard earlier this week — before the huge storm that’s about to hit. While doing fieldwork on Vail Pass, they unintentionally triggered this large (D2) Persistent Slab avalanche on a 27-degree, wind-drifted, north-facing slope. The incoming storm will increase the avalanche danger to HIGH (4 of 5) in many places across the state.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) is warning backcountry travelers that the avalanche danger will rise to HIGH (4 of 5) over the Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day weekend, one of the busiest—and, historically, most dangerous—times of the season.

“We want people to enjoy a holiday weekend in the mountains, but they need to make sure their plan matches the avalanche danger, which will be higher than it has been in a month and a half,” said CAIC Director Ethan Greene.

A powerful storm is set to arrive Thursday night, bringing heavy snowfall and strong winds to the mountains through Saturday.

“Starting Friday, the avalanche danger will be HIGH in a lot of our mountains west of the Continental Divide,” said Greene. “We’re particularly concerned about avalanche accidents this weekend because portions of our snowpack are quite weak. We’ll see heavy snowfall after a fairly dry period, and lots of people will be heading into the backcountry to enjoy the holiday weekend.”

February is the deadliest month for avalanches in Colorado, and Valentine’s Day through Presidents Day weekend is the most dangerous period of the season. Over the past 10 years, eight people have died in avalanches between February 14-16.

“We expect natural avalanches this weekend, and people venturing into the backcountry will be able to trigger slides big enough to bury, injure, or kill them,” Greene warned. “And once the skies clear on Sunday, the chances of an accident will increase due to the nice weather, new snow, and dangerous avalanche conditions.”

CAIC assigns avalanche danger ratings using the North American Public Avalanche Danger Scale, ranging from LOW (Level 1) to EXTREME (Level 5). When conditions become particularly hazardous, CAIC issues Avalanche Watches and Warnings to alert the public. Additionally, Special Avalanche Advisories are released when a significant safety risk coincides with a high-traffic period, such as a major storm during a holiday weekend.

Backcountry travelers should take the following precautions:

  • Check the avalanche forecast before heading out: colorado.gov/avalanche
  • Avoid avalanche-prone terrain during periods of heightened danger.
  • Always carry proper avalanche safety gear, including a transceiver, probe, and shovel — and know how to use them.
Avalanche fatalities in Colorado, 2005-2024, chart showing that February is the most dangerous month of the year.
February is historically the deadliest month for avalanches in Colorado, with the highest concentration of fatalities occurring between February 13-16. Over the past 20 years, more than one-third of all February avalanche deaths have happened during this four-day period — nearly double the expected number if fatalities were evenly distributed throughout the month.

CAIC: Avalanche warnings in effect for busy and notoriously dangerous holiday weekend

GarCo911: eastbound I-70 reopened in Glenwood Canyon

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Garfield County Emergency Communications Authority

11:19.24, 8 a.m. – Road open: I-70 is open between mile markers 116-131 eastbound, Glenwood Springs to Dotsero.

11.19.24, 7:04 a.m. – Road closed: I-70 is closed between mile markers 116 eastbound Glenwood Springs to mile marker 131 eastbound Dotsero, due to an accident.

GarCo911: eastbound I-70 reopened in Glenwood Canyon

Glenwood Police: Avoid bike path near 8th Street

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Glenwood Springs Police Department

11.6.24, 1:02 p.m. – UPDATE: Scene all clear.

11.6.24, 12:44 p.m. – Police activity on the Roaring Fork River bike path near 8th street. Please avoid the area. Follow Glenwood Police Department on Facebook at cogs.us/police. For emergencies, dial 911.

***

Actividad policial en el sendero para bicicletas Roaring Fork cerca de la calle 8. Por favor, evite la zona.

ActualizaciĂłn: 1:02pm escena despejada.

Glenwood Police: Avoid bike path near 8th Street

CDOT: Sun glare safety closures on eastbound I-70 at Floyd Hill begin in November

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Colorado Department of Transportation

Travel alert – Sun glare safety closures on eastbound I-70 at Floyd Hill begin in November Motorists should expect delays in the early morning hours on sunny days I-70 Mountain Corridor — Sun glare season is here and that means on sunny mornings, eastbound Interstate 70 at Floyd Hill east of Idaho Springs will close from sunrise to 8:30 a.m. from early November through February. When closures occur, drivers traveling on eastbound I-70 should prepare for delays of up to an hour. The first closure could occur at sunrise on Sunday, Nov. 3 if the weather is clear and sunny.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) want to remind drivers that the closures are necessary to prevent crashes because the sun glare on eastbound I-70 is blinding. The sun’s angle, in combination with the hill and the highway’s configuration, can create a blinding sun glare for drivers as they head eastbound up Floyd Hill (about Mile Points 244 to 248 – east of Idaho Springs). The intense sun glare occurs as far east as Genesee beginning around sunrise and lasting until around 8:30 a.m.

Sun glare along eastbound I-70 near Floyd Hill.

Detour route

  • If a sun glare safety closure is in place along eastbound I-70:
  • Traffic headed eastbound on I-70 will be rerouted at Exit 244 (US 6) which is at the bottom of Floyd Hill.
  • Motorists can either stay the course on US 6 through Clear Creek Canyon, or they can take the eastbound I-70 frontage road (US 40) and get back onto I-70 at Beaver Brook (Exit 248).
  • Truckers should be aware, there are height restrictions in the tunnels along US 6 Clear Creek Canyon, no vehicles over 12′ 7″ can travel this route.
  • The closures average around 45 minutes to an hour and can occur between sunrise and 8:30 a.m. from November through February each year.

Drivers who travel eastbound I-70 in the early morning hours during fall and winter are urged to pay attention to the overhead message boards beginning just east of the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnel. The signs will have the latest information on sun glare closures. Drivers can also check the travel alerts by going to COtrip.org.

The sun glare closures at Floyd Hill are for the safety of the traveling public. The decision is made on a case by case basis each morning with collaboration between CSP and CDOT personnel who are stationed near Floyd Hill. The eastbound sun glare can become blinding for drivers, especially when there is leftover moisture on the roadway from a storm or from pre-storm road treatment materials. On top of that, mountain driving conditions include steep hills, sharp turns, and possibly wildlife crossing the highway. For these reasons, the sun glare safety closures at Floyd Hill become necessary. This is a unified effort between CSP and CDOT to keep motorists as safe as possible.

Other driver recommendations

  • Adjust your eastbound I-70 travel plans near Floyd Hill to before sunrise or later in the morning. Prepare for a sun glare safety closure to occur if you are traveling eastbound up Floyd Hill between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. on sunny days November through February.
  • Make sure your windshield is clean – inside and out. Ensure your vehicle has plenty of windshield wiper fluid.
  • Wear a good pair of sunglasses to provide shading.
  • Expect traffic slowdowns between 6:30 and 8:30 a.m. along I-70 eastbound near Floyd Hill, and adjust your speed to avoid sudden reactions.
  • Let off the accelerator and slow down gradually instead of slamming on the brakes, if suddenly blinded by the sun.
  • Road conditions can change quickly at this time of year. Drivers can check the latest road and weather conditions by going to COtrip.org.
  • For more information visit sun glare safety — Colorado Department of Transportation.
CDOT: Sun glare safety closures on eastbound I-70 at Floyd Hill begin in November