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Home > Trip Planning > Snow and Weather

Snow and Weather

Snowpack on The Colorado Trail

Snowpack on the CT is, every spring, a subject of great interest to CT users planning their trips. The common question is "When is The Colorado Trail likely to be snow free?" The general rule is that the CT is usually snow free by July 1 and the CT "season" can be viewed as primarily July and August. This July-August, CT season can (some years) be extended by a couple of weeks on each end to include the last 2 weeks in June and first 2 weeks in September. June can be "iffy" though, especially at the higher CT elevations and on the north facing hillsides and where the Trail is shaded in the trees. The following website links can be of help. They show current snow depth at 9 mountain locations that are relatively near the CT and at similar elevations.

Nearest CT Location Snotel Site Site Elevation Approx. miles from CT Snow Depth Last 7 Days
Segment 6
Georgia Pass		 Michigan Creek 10,600 1.5 Snow Depth Michigan Creek
Segment 8
Copper Mountain 		Copper Mountain 10,300 0.3 Snow Depth Copper Mountain
Segment 8
Kokomo Pass		 Fremont Pass 11,400 3.7 Snow Depth Fremont Pass
Segment 15
Fooses Crk/ Marshall		 Porphyry Creek 10,760 3.3 Snow Depth Porphyry Creek
Segment 17
Sargents Mesa		 Sargents Mesa 11,530 0.3 Snow Depth Sargents Mesa
Segment 18
Cochetopa Pass		 Cochetopa Pass 10,020 0.8 Snow Depth Cochetopa Pass
Segment 22
Jarosa Mesa		 Slumgullion 11,440 3.5 Snow Depth Slumgullion
Continental Divide atop Elk Creek Beartown 11,600 0.6 Snow Depth Beartown
Segment 24/25
Molas Pass		 Molas Lake 10,500 0.3 Snow Depth Molas Lake
Segment 27/28
Kennebec Pass		 Columbus Basin 10,785 0.9 Snow Depth Columbus Basin

 

Weather conditions in Colorado change quickly. You can encounter any kind of weather any time of the year, so please plan ahead and pack appropriate clothing for all weather conditions. Because much of The Colorado Trail is at high elevations, the sun is intense (so wear sunscreen) but it is possible to also encounter snow or fierce thunderstorms. Be prepared, check on loved ones, or just see what mother nature has in store by checking the up to the minute weather forecasts from NOAA. 

You can also use the following weather links to provide forecast information for towns located near The Colorado Trail. 

Segment # Trail Section Descriptions Weather Info.
1 Waterton Canyon Trailhead to South Platte River Littleton
2 - 5 South Platte River to Kenosha Pass Bailey
6 - 8 Kenosha Pass to Tennessee Pass Breckenridge
9 - 11 Tennessee Pass to Clear Creek Road Leadville
12 - 14 Clear Creek Road to U.S. Highway 50 Buena Vista
15 - 19 U. S. Highway 50 to Eddiesville Trialhead Saguache
20 - 22 Eddiesville Trailhead to Carson Saddle Lake City
23 - 27 Carson Saddle to Cumberland Basin Silverton
28 Cumberland Basin to Junction Creek Trailhead (Durango) Durango

Real-Time Weather Information is provided by the Automated Weather Observing Systems (AWOS). 

These instruments and reporting system are designed for airports and are being installed in 12 of the state's critical mountain passes. Currently 5 are running at high elevation mountain passes. The 6th system is on Monument Hill south of Denver. These systems provide continuous real-time weather reports including wind direction, wind speed, temperature, visibility, precipitation, storm proximity and density altitude. The Colorado Aeronautical Board and the Colorado Department of Transportation's Division of Aeronautics are implementing the new systems. In the future another 6 systems will be installed at Glenwood Springs (Sunlight Ridge), Kremmling, Cameron Pass, Wilkerson Pass, Cottonwood Pass, and Saguache.

The closest locations to The Colorado Trail are the Monarch Pass (Segments 15-16) and Copper Mtn (Segments 7-8).

Location Phone Number
Monarch Pass 719-539-4436
Corona Pass 303-258-3052
LaVeta Pass 719-587-3130
Copper Mtn./Vail Pass 970-968-1715
Wolf Creek Pass 970-264-2180

 

Fire Information will be posted here on an as needed basis.