US 50 @ Monarch Pass b/c adverse conditions;no est time of opening
— CDOT (@ColoradoDOT) January 31, 2014
BREAKING: Highway 50 of Monarch Pass in Colorado is currently closed near mile-marker 205 due to an avalanche! – As is stands right now, there is no estimated time of reopening. The area has received over 20 inches of snow in a 24-hour period.
It is not yet known how large the avalanche is, no cars seem to be buried, and no injuries have been reported.
According to the Colorado State Patrol, an avalanche control operation had been planned prior to the slide. Highway 50 would have been closed between 3:30PM and 4:30PM, and then reopened.
#BREAKINGWEATHERALERT: #MonarchPass is closed on #Hwy50 because of an avalanche. No estimated time of reopening. pic.twitter.com/7Pf3kykHLV
— KKTV 11 News (@kktv11news) January 31, 2014
Sources
CDOT
KRDO
KRDO
Monarch Mountain
National Weather Service