Coal Bank and Molas passes reopened Friday afternoon, but Red Mountain Pass will remain closed until further notice, the Colorado Department of Transportation reported at 3:45 p.m.
CDOT said avalanche mitigation crews worked most of the day Friday to trigger snow slides that posed a threat to U.S. Highway 550.
That work was completed south of Silverton, meaning Silverton is no longer snowed in.
Crews attempted to mitigate slide paths on Red Mountain Pass, north of Silverton, but were unable to complete the work because of adverse weather conditions.
“We had zero visibility at times today,” Vance Kelso, CDOT area maintenance supervisor, said in a statement. “Snow was falling fast and winds were blowing fiercely. We were forced to call off our avalanche control operations for the safety of the crew.”
Avalanche control work will be attempted first thing Saturday, Kelso said.
The three mountain passes were closed around 5:30 a.m. Friday because of a winter storm.
In other weather-related news Friday:
Schools were canceled across La Plata County.Bayfield and Ignacio school districts canceled classes, as did Mountain Middle School and Animas High School.
Durango School District 9-R had scheduled a professional development day for staff, which means no classes were scheduled. But the professional development day was delayed, with activities starting at 9 a.m., according to an emergency announcement issued Friday morning by the school district.
To see road conditions around the area, visit our webcams page.
Travel information
The Colorado Department of Transportation reminds motorists to check for updated weather information:
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Call 511 to listen to recorded information about road conditions, projected trip travel times and trucker information.
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Visit
www.codot.gov/travel/winter-driving
to get information about road conditions, what to keep in a vehicle during the winter, how to safely pass a snowplow, commercial-vehicle requirements, seasonal closures, snow removal and avalanche control.
Herald Staff
