Winter Storm Watch issued for Vail area late Wednesday through late Friday

Hard on the heels of Vail opening portions of the Back Bowls on Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Watch for the Vail area for late Wednesday through late Friday, with up to two feet of new snow possible. Expect horrific driving conditions and avalanche danger in the backcountry.

Vail Resorts will reportedly begin requiring masks on gondolas starting Wednesday due to a big COVID-19 spike in Eagle County.

Here’s the weather alert:

GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAIN VALLEYS-FLAT TOPS-INCLUDING THE CITIES OF ASPEN, VAIL, SNOWMASS, BUFORD, AND TRAPPERS LAKE

148 PM MST TUE DEC 28 2021

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM MST WEDNESDAY…

…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT…

* WHAT…FOR THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY, SNOW. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 3 TO 5 INCHES. WINDS GUSTING AS HIGH AS 35 MPH.

FOR THE WINTER STORM WATCH, HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 12 TO 24 INCHES POSSIBLE. WINDS COULD GUST AS HIGH AS 45 MPH.

* WHERE…GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAIN VALLEYS AND FLAT TOPS.

* WHEN…FOR THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY, UNTIL 8 AM MST WEDNESDAY. FOR THE WINTER STORM WATCH, FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT.

* IMPACTS…TRAVEL COULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE. PATCHY BLOWING SNOW COULD SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE VISIBILITY, ESPECIALLY 

ON RIDGE TOPS. THE COLD WIND CHILLS AS LOW AS 20 BELOW ZERO COULD CAUSE FROSTBITE ON EXPOSED SKIN IN AS LITTLE AS 30 

MINUTES. A DETAILED MAP OF THE SNOWFALL CAN BE FOUND AT: WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GJT/WINTER.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

SLOW DOWN AND USE CAUTION WHILE TRAVELING. 

MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FOR UPDATES ON THIS SITUATION. 

THE LATEST ROAD CONDITIONS FOR THE STATE YOU ARE CALLING FROM CAN BE OBTAINED BY CALLING 5 1 1