Light Sunday traffic helped keep snow-related accidents to a minimum in La Plata County as the latest snowstorm moved through Southwest Colorado. However, three people were critically injured in a serious crash just north of Cortez that closed U.S. Highway 491 for 2½ hours.
The Colorado State Patrol closed a small stretch U.S. Highway 491 between Montezuma County Roads M and L from 8 a.m. to 10:34 a.m. after a head-on crash between a white Subaru and a semitrailer near mile marker 28.
Colorado State Patrol Cpl. Ivan Alvarado said the crash occurred at 7:38 a.m. on icy roads.
Alvarado said the driver of the semi was not injured, but all three passengers of the Subaru – a man and two women – were critically injured. He said two passengers were ejected from the vehicle. Two of the passengers were airlifted to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction and one was transported by ambulance.
There was some confusion over whether a child was in the Subaru, but Alvarado said all of the occupants were adults.
Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office provided traffic control during the highway closure, Sheriff Steve Nowlin said semitrailer traffic was rerouted to Colorado Highway 145 and Colorado 184.
By 9 a.m., dozens of semitrailers had stacked up on the side of the highway, waiting for the scene to clear. Smaller vehicles were redirected to county roads.
Recent snowstorms have caused other issues in the region.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center lists the avalanche danger as considerable, or a 3 on its 5-point scale, and Sunday’s snowfall is expected to make conditions even more dangerous.
A backcountry skier was killed in an avalanche Saturday in the Upper Senator Beck Basin northwest of Red Mountain Pass in the northern San Juan Mountains.
Chain laws and snow tires are required for all vehicles on Red Mountain Pass from mile marker 71 to 95.
Kris Sanders, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction said he expects the storm to leave 3 to 6 inches in the river valleys of Southwest Colorado, including Durango, and 6 to 12 inches in the San Juan Mountains with up to 16 inches on southwest-facing slopes.
A winter weather advisory is in effect until midnight Sunday for the San Juan Mountains including Silverton, Telluride, Ouray and Lake City. The advisory also includes the Sawatch Mountains, Uncompahgre Plateau and the Dallas Divide. It also covers La Sal and Abajo Mountains in southeast Utah.
The storm is expected to clear through the day, and Sanders said he even expected pockets of sun to break out late Sunday afternoon.
Durango Police Department Cpl. Travis Ketelsleger said a few snow-related minor accidents were reported Sunday morning.
“Plows are out. There are slick spots, but it’s not too bad,” he said of road conditions in Durango.
La Plata County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Richard Paige said major roads were in good condition by early afternoon, but back roads were still snowpacked with slick spots.
“We’ve had a bunch of slide-offs, but no injuries,” Paige said.
Lisa Schwantes, spokeswoman with the Colorado Department of Transportation, said motorists should slow down and give plenty of room for the vehicle in front of them.
“Caution is the word of the day,” she said.
The latest storm was good news for ski resorts. Purgatory Resort is reporting 6 inches of new snowfall in the last 24 hours, Wolf Creek Ski Area reports 3 inches and Telluride Ski Resort also reports 3 inches.
parmijo@durangoherald.com The Journal contributed to this report.
Road conditions
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Herald Staff
