Updated 3:50 p.m. -- Arapahoe Basin Ski Area was forced to close because of avalanche danger on nearby Loveland Pass Tuesday afternoon. “We’ve been told by CDOT they need to close the road at Keystone and send people home,” said spokeswoman Adrienne tells the Denver Post.
CDOT reports that I-70 is now open in both directions between Vail & Idaho Spring. Berthoud Pass remains closed.
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After a blustery Monday that toppled trees, upended signs and damaged roofs, the Front Range will again to see periodic gusts of winds Tuesday. The mountains will continue to see snow, sometimes heavy, with accumulations of up to 6 inches by the evening.
Avalanche blocking both west and east I-70 Vail pass. Road closures at Vail and Copper Mtn. pic.twitter.com/WjrqDaXnh1
Vail Pass, both east and west bound along I-70, was closed early Tuesday morning by an avalanche, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Extending between east Vail and Copper Mountain, it is expected to be a lengthy closure. This follows Monday's difficult mountain travel thanks to snowy conditions and an I-70 closure further down valley for a diesel fuel spill near Gypsum.
Loveland Pass is closed due to adverse conditions, creating delays at the Eisenhower Tunnel as hazmat vehicles will use the tunnel at the top of each hour, while other traffic is held.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center's avalanche forecast predicts considerable or high danger for the bulk of the high country.
Colorado Springs was lashed by high winds Monday. The Colorado Springs Gazette described it as "a record windstorm that turned the Pikes Peak region into a dart board for dislodged tree limbs and other flying detrius." The National Weather Service office in Pueblo's peak wind observations at one point clocked 101 miles per hour at the Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, 72 mph at Manitou Springs and 80 mph at Colorado City, south of Pueblo.
View of Jon's Auto Shop here in Co Springs today, as 60-80 MPH wind gusts ripped through the city #cowx pic.twitter.com/nh2JpHwD8Q
The forecast calls for Tuesday to remain breezy, but with considerable less force. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.
