Trucking News · Colorado · November 2, 2026

Colorado Storm Warnings Cover Two Mountain Passes Truckers Use, With Up to 18 Inches of Snow Forecast for Red Mountain Pass

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Two of Colorado's most demanding truck routes are under winter storm warnings from Sunday into Monday. According to CDLWire, which summarized Autoblog's reporting on the National Weather Service (NWS) warnings, forecasters call for up to 18 inches of snow at Red Mountain Pass on U.S. 550 and 8 to 14 inches at Wolf Creek Pass on U.S. 160, with gusts up to 50 mph and travel that could become very difficult to impossible in blowing and drifting snow. The warnings remain in effect until 10 a.m. PT (Pueblo) and 11 a.m. PT (Grand Junction) Monday, Nov. 2. CDLWire is a secondary source, and Big Rig Daily did not check the NWS postings, so conditions may change.

The two warnings

The NWS office in Grand Junction covers the northwest and southwest San Juan Mountains, with a warning in effect until 2 p.m. Eastern time on Monday (noon Mountain, 11 a.m. Pacific). It calls for 12 to 18 inches of snow above 10,000 feet, locally higher, and gusts to 45 mph. The report says the office upgraded the warning from a winter storm watch on Saturday morning. The area includes Red Mountain, Molas, Coal Bank and Lizard Head passes, and Red Mountain Pass carries U.S. 550 through it.

The NWS office in Pueblo has the eastern San Juans above 10,000 feet under a warning from 7 p.m. Eastern on Sunday to 1 p.m. Eastern on Monday (11 a.m. Mountain, 10 a.m. Pacific). It covers Wolf Creek Pass and Cumbres Pass and forecasts 8 to 14 inches of snow and gusts to 50 mph, with the worst travel expected Sunday night into Monday morning.

Wolf Creek Pass on U.S. 160

According to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Wolf Creek drops at a 7% grade for more than eight miles from the summit, with a hairpin curve six and a half miles down and two runaway truck ramps along the way. CDOT's guidance for truck drivers is to check brakes before descending, keep a low speed in a low gear and not ride the brakes, which can overheat them. The wide shoulder at the summit also serves as a chain-up area for traffic in both directions, and the report says the place to stop and chain is at the top, before the grade.

Red Mountain Pass on U.S. 550

Red Mountain Pass runs below avalanche terrain, and the hazard can close the road even when the driving itself is manageable. CDOT installed remote avalanche control systems on the pass in 2023, two Gazex units and three O'bellx units that use compressed air and gases to trigger controlled avalanches above the road while it is closed. CDOT says crews can run that work in the early morning before commuter traffic builds, and that the systems shorten closures. Across the state, CDOT and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center monitor 522 avalanche paths above state highways and Interstate 70, with active mitigation on 278.

Planning around conditions

The report points truck drivers to COtrip and 511 for current conditions. Big Rig Daily has more background in its guide to truck chain laws by state and an explanation of how runaway truck ramps work.

Quick facts

• Red Mountain Pass, U.S. 550 (Grand Junction warning): 12 to 18 inches above 10,000 feet, gusts to 45 mph, in effect until 11 a.m. PT Monday.
• Wolf Creek Pass, U.S. 160 (Pueblo warning): 8 to 14 inches, gusts to 50 mph, in effect until 10 a.m. PT Monday.

FAQ

How much snow is forecast for Red Mountain Pass?

Up to 18 inches around Red Mountain Pass and 8 to 14 inches around Wolf Creek Pass.

What does CDOT advise truckers on Wolf Creek?

Check brakes before descending, use a low gear at a low speed, and do not ride the brakes.

Why can Red Mountain Pass close in a storm?

It runs below avalanche terrain, and crews use control systems to trigger slides on purpose while the road is closed.

A question for readers

Truckers, have you ever run Wolf Creek or Red Mountain in the snow, and would you go or wait it out?

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