Pueblo, Colorado – Drivers crossing Colorado’s highest mountain passes face near whiteout conditions by 11 p.m. tonight as a powerful winter storm slams the Eastern Sawatch and Eastern San Juan Mountains with wind-driven snow and 70 mph gusts.
According to the National Weather Service in Pueblo, a Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 11 p.m. Monday through 11 p.m. Wednesday for elevations above 10,000 to 11,000 feet, including Wolf Creek Pass, Cumbres Pass and the Bonanza area. Forecasters expect 8 to 14 inches of total accumulation, with up to 24 inches possible across portions of the Eastern San Juan Mountains. Winds could gust as high as 70 mph, triggering widespread blowing and drifting snow.
The heaviest snowfall targets late Monday night through Tuesday morning, with another intense round arriving Wednesday. Visibility could drop below a quarter mile at times, especially along U.S. Highway 160 over Wolf Creek Pass and State Highway 17 near Cumbres Pass. Colorado Department of Transportation crews may face difficult plowing operations as crosswinds whip snow back onto cleared roadways.
Strong gusts could also snap tree limbs and spark isolated power outages in exposed alpine areas. Backcountry travel will become extremely dangerous as wind slabs build rapidly.
Travelers should delay non-essential trips, monitor CDOT road updates by calling 511, and pack emergency supplies if travel becomes unavoidable. The warning remains in effect through 11 p.m. Wednesday, and additional advisories could follow if conditions intensify.
