The Colorado Department of Transportation announced on Monday that the safety closure of Independence Pass, which began at 4 p.m. on Nov. 15, became a seasonal closure as of Nov. 17.

“While the alternate route for the seasonal closure adds a few hours to drivers’ trips, the safety of the traveling public and our CDOT crews is our priority,” Jason Smith, CDOT’s regional transportation director for Northwest Colorado, said in a press release. “We keep the pass open as long as conditions allow, but when Mother Nature tells us winter has arrived and it’s time to close the roadway, we listen.”

While the storm that initially closed the pass created several inches of accumulation at Lincoln Creek Road, where the pass closure begins, CDOT crews made the decision that additional expected snow accumulation later this week and present pass conditions created by snowfall and wind over the weekend warranted the official seasonal closure. 

OpenSnow’s report for the Independence Pass area noted that between early on Monday and Tuesday, around 5 inches had accumulated. As of Tuesday, OpenSnow was forecasting an additional 4 inches of snow in the next five days.

In the past 10 years, the latest the pass has closed for the season has been on Nov. 17, 2017. This year will mark another Nov. 17 seasonal closure.

Original reporting from the Aspen Times