FRISCO — A series of winter storms are set to hit the western parts of the state, and the Colorado Department of Transportation is asking motorists to make sure they’re ready for the conditions before hitting the road.
Storms are forecast to linger through Friday and are expected to impact mostly the High Country above 8,500 feet. CDOT already has issued advisories of potential travel impacts around the state, including in the Summit County area, where the department is expecting as much as 10 inches of heavy and blowing snow along the I-70 corridor, particularly near the Eisenhower Tunnel and Vail Pass.
Travelers should be aware of chain and traction law codes before heading out on the roadway. Passenger traction laws, Code 15, require all passenger vehicles to have appropriate all-weather tires with 3/16-inch depth treads. Vehicles must have one of the following: snow tires, tires with a mud/snow designation, chains or an alternative traction device such as an autosock. Four-wheel drive and all wheel drive vehicles must have snow tires or all-weather tires. The traction law is currently active and will remain active on I-70 between Dotsero and Morrison until May 31.
Passenger chain laws, Code 16, require all passenger vehicles to have chains, except for four-wheel drive and all-wheel drive vehicles with all-weather tires and three-sixteenths of an inch tread depth. Commercial chain laws, Code 18, require all commercial vehicles and trucks to have chains.
Courtesy Colorado Department of Transportation
For more information on weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts, check out cotrip.org or sign up for CDOT alerts at bit.ly/coalerts.
