The storm that brought icy roads to the Durango area and feet of snow to the mountains is moving out, leaving in its wake high avalanche danger and frigid nighttime temperatures.

The low Tuesday night is expected to be around zero, and dropping below that in some parts of the region, according to the National Weather Service.

Although the sun broke out early Tuesday in Durango, the weather service is calling for partly cloudy skies and high of 27 degrees. Wednesday should be mostly sunny, but the skies may cloud up again Thursday with a slight chance of light snow Thursday afternoon.

The Colorado Avalanche Center has issued a warning for many mountain areas, including Aspen, Gunnison, Grand Mesa, northern and southern San Juan mountains, Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Steamboat and Flat Tops, Front Range, Vail and Summit County and the Sawatch Range.

The warning that includes Southwest Colorado warns people to stay out of the backcountry, where “avalanche conditions remain very dangerous. A sustained storm has loaded mountain slopes with 2-4 feet of new and wind-drifted snow. Numerous large natural avalanches have occurred, and human-triggered avalanches continue to be very likely on steep slopes,” according to the warning posted on the center’s website.

Red Mountain Pass reopened about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday with chain law restrictions after a day of avalanche control work by the Colorado Department of Transportation. It had been closed since Sunday evening.

Also, chain law restrictions were lifted about the same time on Molas and Coal Bank passes. Wolf Creek Pass remained under chain law restrictions Tuesday afternoon, along with many other Colorado mountain passes.

Weather information

The Colorado Department of Transportation reminds motorists to check for updated weather information:
Visit www.cotrip.org for real-time road conditions, highway closures, average speeds, photos, live cameras streaming traffic, trucking information and more.
Call 511 to listen to recorded information about road conditions, projected trip travel times and trucker information.
Receive free email/text alerts at www.codot.gov/travel; choose from a list of subscription options at the “get connected” tab.
Follow @coloradodot on Twitter for traveler information and other news.
Like CDOT at www.facebook.com/coloradodot to receive news and traveler information.
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