Aspen under winter storm warning Thursday, 5 to 10 inches of snow expected

The National Weather Service in Grand Junction issued a winter storm warning for Aspen and Snowmass in effect from 5 a.m. to midnight Thursday.

Snow is expected to begin falling Thursday morning, increasing during the afternoon. About 5 to 10 inches of snow is expected, with locally higher amounts in high terrain, according to the National Weather Service.

Winds are expected to be 10 to 20 miles per hour, with gusts up to 35 miles per hour. Roads over mountain passes will become icy and snowpacked due to a rapid drop in temperatures Thursday evening. Independence Pass is scheduled to close at noon Thursday in advance of the winter weather conditions.