Heavy snow expected on Wolf Creek and intense winds on Valley floor

EXPECT heavy snow on Wolf Creek and intense winds Tuesday evening into Wednesday on the San Luis Valley floor and La Veta Pass, according to the National Weather Service.

Wolf Creek is expected to receive 4 to 5 feet of fresh snow mid-week, adding to an incredible season total that shows the Wolf Creek Summit with a 126-inch snowpack base.

The main concern for the San Luis Valley will be 40- to 60-mile-per-hour winds Wednesday. With unseasonably warm temperatures, the Valley could get a mixture of rain and snow.

The main concerns for San Luis Valley emergency managers are the mountain passes, particularly Wolf Creek and La Veta Pass. La Veta won’t get the snow that Wolf Creek is expected to see, but weather forecasters said to watch for intense winds that could make driving difficult over La Veta Pass Wednesday.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is also looking at avalanche mitigation work on Wolf Creek, Monarch and Cumbres passes this week. The winds will factor into when avalanche mitigation work is done, but travelers should expect to see stoppages on those passes when avalanche mitigation is underway by CDOT.