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Aspen area could see up to a foot of snow by Tuesday evening

Weather services says heaviest snow expected late Monday

Staff reports
National Weather Service map shows winter storm advisory (purple) and warnings (pink) for Dec. 28-29, 2020.
Courtesy National Weather Service

Up to a foot of snow is expected to fall over Monday and Tuesday as the latest storm rolls through Aspen, Snowmass Village and the Colorado mountains, according to an update Monday morning from the National Weather Service.

Much of northern and western Colorado, including the Aspen area, is under a winter weather advisory through 5 p.m. Tuesday, the NWS said Monday, and “total snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches with locally higher amounts” are possible. Included in the area are the Gore and Elk mountains and the stretch of Interstate 70 from Glenwood Springs to Denver through central Colorado.

“Moderate to heavy snowfall rates will impact many roadways with icy to snowpacked conditions … especially the mountain corridors. Areas of fog, snow and blowing snow will also impact visibility and travel could be very difficult at times,” the NWS said in its weather outlook.



The agency is predicting the heaviest snow rates will happen Monday evening through early Tuesday morning.

Parts of the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado are in a winter storm warming with nearly 2 feet of snow predicted and winds as high as 45 mph above 10,000 feet.




Avalanche danger in the backcountry before the storm started Monday was in the “considerable” range and an avalanche watch is in effect for most of the state, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. That rating is expected to increase as the storm intensifies. A skier died Saturday in an avalanche on Berthoud Pass, marking the fourth avalanche death this season in Colorado.

Flights in and out of the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport likely will be affected, and travelers should check with their airlines or go to aspenairport.com for updates.

For road conditions, the Colorado Department of Transportation will have closure updates at cotrip.org.

This is a developing story that will be updated.

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