Aspen, Snowmass in weather advisory calling for snow, high winds through Monday morning

Sunday started as a bluebird day around Aspen and Snowmass, but the National Weather Services predicts the day will end with heavy snow and high winds, according to a weather advisory.

The NWS’s Grand Junction office Sunday morning issued a winter weather advisory that lasts into Monday morning, and in an afternoon update called for 3 to 5 inches of snow in the area, and up to a foot at higher elevations.

Snow started in the valley after 1 p.m. and according to the weather service, the heaviest snowfall is expected late Sunday afternoon into the early evening hours, and in Aspen most of the snow will fall before 11 p.m.

“Plan on slippery road conditions. In addition, some reductions to visibility are likely. Winds gusting as high as 45 mph will cause patchy blowing and drifting snow,” the NWS predicts.

The advisory, which last until 9 a.m. Monday, also includes most of northwestern Colorado, the Gore and Elk mountains and the Vail area.