US 550 Red Mountain Pass Now Open After Avalanche Control Ops

US 550 Red Mountain Pass is open. Avalanche control operations were completed just after 1:30 p.m. on Monday afternoon (1/7). The pass was closed since late Sunday evening (1/6) after two natural snow slides reached the highway because of heavy snowfall in southwest Colorado. 

Starting at 6:00 a.m. this Monday morning, avalanche mitigation crews worked on both the north and south sides of the pass, triggering more than a dozen snow slide paths. Snow reached the roadway at many of the snow slide areas. 

This Colorado Avalanche Information Center - CAIC team member, is standing on the highway at the "Blue Point" path, just north of the Red Mountain Pass summit. She is is 5'5" tall.