I-70 reopens in Vail
Winter Weather Advisory underway
John LaConte/Vail Daily
I-70 westbound on Vail Pass reopened just after 12 a.m. on Saturday morning.
I-70 eastbound has reopened in Vail after a more than three hour closure. Vail Pass remains closed in the westbound direction due to a crash at mile marker 189.
The high mountains of the Vail area saw half a foot of snow during the day on Friday with more on the way headed into the evening hours.
The National Weather Service predicted the challenging conditions on Vail Pass in a Hazardous Weather Outlook issued Friday morning at 4:35 a.m.
“Despite recent warmth, slushy and snow-packed roads are likely and will create hazardous travel, especially over high mountain passes such as Rabbit Ears Pass and Vail Pass,” the Friday outlook predicted.
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On Saturday afternoon at about 2:30 p.m., the National Weather Service upgraded the outlook to a Winter Weather Advisory.
The advisory said additional snow accumulations of 3 to 7 inches are possible throughout Friday and into Saturday morning.
“Total snow accumulations of 5 to 11 inches with locally higher amounts possible,” the National Weather Service reported for both the Gore and Flat Tops ranges in eastern and western Eagle County.
COTrip.org issued an alert on Friday saying the storm is expected to continue through Saturday afternoon and drivers, especially along the I-25 and I-70 corridors east of the Continental Divide, are urged to avoid travel.
“If you must travel, adequate snow rated tires will be required,” the Department of Transportation warned drivers.
Visit COTrip.org for the latest information on road closures.
