Coal Bank and Molas passes closed north of Durango at 3 p.m. Monday, and Red Mountain Pass already was closed earlier in the day.
"This is a safety issue for the traveling public and our CDOT equipment operators," said Vance Kelso, CDOT area maintenance supervisor for the north US 550 corridor. "A snowslide came down this morning and covered a section of the road with twoo feet of snow. We are concerned that additional slides may occur."
CDOT closed U.S. 550 after snow slides started hitting the road, Kelso said. "We have equipment moving snow and clearing the roadway," he added. "It's our hope we will have the highway south of Silverton open by this evening."
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) has issued an Avalanche Warning for the entire San Juan Mountain Range. The CAIC reports that heavy snow and very strong winds have made travel and visibility virtually impossible. The avalanche hazard will remain elevated with additional snow and continued strong winds through Tuesday.
Bayfield school officials are keeping their eye on weather conditions to see if the roads are safe for travel, said Jeff Whitmore, the transportation director for Bayfield schools. Saturday night's basketball games for the Bayfield Wolverines in Alamosa were cancelled to avoid the drive over Wolf Creek Pass.
Frosty winter weather made for icy and snowpacked road conditions Monday morning across Southwest Colorado.
The runway at Durango-La Plata County Airport was closed early Monday but reopened about 8:15 a.m. after crews plowed and deiced the airstrip. But the first flights of the day didn't takeoff until about 9:30 a.m., said Tony Vicari, interim director of the airport.
"We're going to have a few delays throughout the morning just because of the backlog that we saw out of our location," he said.
Wolf Creek Pass on U.S. Highway 160 reopened about 9:45 a.m. Monday, after it was closed shortly before 7 a.m. for avalanche mitigation, CDOT said.
CDOT road and weather conditions are available by dialing 511, 303-639-1111, or visiting www.COtrip.org.
After a brief break in the clouds on Monday, snow started falling again in downtown Bayfield during the afternoon. A winter storm warning has been issued until 9 a.m. Tuesday for Cortez, Durango and Pagosa Springs.
