Traffic Alert: Be Ready For Periodic Closures On I-70 At Vail Pass On Monday

VAIL, Colo. (CBS4) - Drivers on Interstate 70 on Monday need to be aware of periodic closures on Vail Pass. The closures will be happening during the day and will be due to "winter maintenance operations" that will be taking place after a large amount of snowfall in the area.

Delays are likely in both the westbound and eastbound lanes during the operations, which the Colorado Department of Transportation said would likely start at approximately 9:30 a.m.

The specific area where the I-70 closure will happen will be at the Narrows on Vail Pass (between Mile Points 180 and 190).

Several days of wind and snow in the northern and central mountains have created very dangerous avalanche conditions.

Anywhere from 10 to 30 inches of snow has been reported since Friday, including at resorts such as Vail, Steamboat, Breckenridge and Copper.

Intense westerly winds sustained between 30-50 mph with gusts between 60-80mph caused a lot of snow transport and rapidly built thick slabs according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. The new slabs create an immediate danger because they can overwhelm weak layers buried in the snowpack.