Weekend Storm Means Independence Pass, CO at 12,095-Feet Now Closed Until May 2019

There’s now only one way for motorists to get in and out of Aspen until late May. The Colorado Department of Transportation announced yesterday it has closed the Independence Pass winter gates on Highway 82 between Aspen and Twin Lakes for the season after a foot of snow blanketed the scenic bypass over the weekend, reports the Aspen Times.

CDOT closed the two-lane pass, which peaks at 12,095 feet, at 7 pm Friday and said it would examine whether to reopen it Monday morning.

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After the weekend’s snowfall and meeting with the Colorado Avalanche Information Center to discuss avalanche mitigation, CDOT officials made the call to close the pass for the season.

The pass typically closes within the first two weeks of November, but it closed Nov. 17 in both 2016 and 2017, according to CDOT. In 2015, it closed for the season Nov. 4. The pass typically reopens the Thursday before Memorial Day, weather permitting.

For more info on Colorado road conditions, visit http://www.COTRIP.org.