Berthoud Pass in Colorado's mountains to close Saturday night

With heavy snow already falling in Colorado -- and especially in the mountains -- Berthoud Pass is set to close Saturday night through Sunday morning from Berthoud Falls to Winter Park. Winter forecasts call for over 15 inches of snow, low visibility and avalanche danger in the mountains.

The approximately 13-mile stretch of road from miles markers 236 to 249 is scheduled to close from 11 p.m. through 5:30 a.m. when the Colorado Department of Transportation says traffic is at the lowest volume, but could begin sooner. The department hopes to reopen ahead of Sunday morning ski traffic.

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"A safety closure will be necessary overnight so that crews can safely conduct winter maintenance operations," CDOT said in a statement Saturday morning. "By taking proactive measures to safely close Berthoud Pass, this will prevent incidents and extended safety closures during the overnight hours."

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center on Saturday warned of high avalanche danger throughout the Colorado mountains. The area of Berthoud Pass and Winter Park was on avalanche watch while, while nearby areas to the west and south were under an avalanche warning.

Berthoud Pass closed for several days in January due to an avalanche that buried several vehicles and covered the road.