Coal Bank, Molas and Red Mountain passes stayed closed overnight Saturday, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

It was too dangerous for crews to do avalanche mitigation on U.S. Highway 550, CDOT spokeswoman Lisa Schwantes said. “We’re going to try and start mitigation first thing in the morning,” she said.

The highway closed from Cascade Creek, north of Purgatory Resort to Ouray, Saturday morning following natural avalanches.

In the last 24 hours, Red Mountain Pass had received 8 inches of snow, and Molas and Coal Bank passes received 7 inches.

Crews reopened Lizard Head Pass on Colorado Highway 145 at about 4:20 p.m. on Saturday, CDOT said. “They worked tirelessly all afternoon,” Schwantes said. They cleared snow from natural avalanches and also performed avalanche mitigation work, she said.

Snow storms are expected in the San Juan Mountains through Monday, said Jeff Colton, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The highest peaks could see between four to eight inches of snow Saturday night and Sunday, he said.

Areas between 9,000 and 10,000 feet could see one to three inches of snow.

Durango could see rain and snow Saturday night and Sunday morning, while Bayfield could see 1 to 3 inches of snow, he said.

The risk of avalanches should ease in the next few days, said Spencer Logan, a forecaster with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.

The center has recorded data from 400 avalanches across the state from Jan. 1 through Thursday, he said. This includes those that are triggered by humans and natural.

“We document one in every 10 avalanches that occur,” he said, so it’s mostly a ballpark estimate.

This month, 12 people in Colorado have been caught in avalanches, he said. There were some injuries but no fatalities.

mshinn@durangoherald.com