Icy, snowy road conditions expected in Colorado’s mountains during New Year’s travel period 

Road conditions could be treacherous in Colorado’s mountains in the days leading up to the New Year’s holiday. 

Amid what is expected to be a record-breaking period for end-of-year holiday travel, weather experts are warning of icy and snowy roads in the High Country. 

Winter weather is expected to last through Sunday morning, with a reprieve during the day that will be “ideal for many folks heading up to or down from the mountains along both directions” on Interstate 70, wrote OpenSnow meteorologist Sam Collentine, in a Friday blog post. 

“Following the break on Sunday, expect another round of icy and snow-packed road surfaces beginning on Sunday night and lasting through Monday night,” Collentine said. “Give yourself extra travel time on Monday ahead of a return to mostly dry road surfaces and normal travel speeds on Tuesday.”

The heaviest New Year’s traffic is expected to be this weekend, while roads could be quieter on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, said AAA regional spokesperson Skyler McKinley in an interview last week.

While out-of-state visitors may be staying in the same place for both Christmas and New Year’s, in-state residents may be more likely to travel again for New Year’s to be closer to home. 

Because of this, I-70 traffic may be heavier heading eastbound in the lead up to New Year’s, McKinley said. 

Drivers can check the latest travel alerts by going to COTrip.org and sign up for text and email alerts for the I-70 mountain corridor. The latest weather conditions can be found at Weather.gov.