Summit forecast, next 72 hours
- New snow0 in
- Strongest gusts15 mphSaturday Night
- Coldest34°F
| Forecast | Snow | Gusts | Temp °F |
|---|---|---|---|
| TonightMostly Clear | 0 in | 10 mph | Low 34° |
| SaturdaySunny | 0 in | 15 mph | High 59° |
| Saturday NightPartly Cloudy | 0 in | 15 mph | Low 34° |
| SundaySunny | 0 in | 15 mph | High 60° |
| Sunday NightMostly Clear | 0 in | 10 mph | Low 35° |
| MondaySunny | 0 in | 15 mph | High 59° |
Snow is the forecast new accumulation at the summit grid point. Dots use Road Travel’s driving-risk scale.
Typical weather by month
Monthly normals from the long-term stations nearest the summit. None sits exactly on the pass, so each column says how far away and how high it is.
| Month | Brumley 10,600 ft · 2 mi southeast of the summit | Climax 11,344 ft · 27 mi northeast of the summit | Leadville Airport 9,932 ft · 16 mi northeast of the summit | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precip (in) | High / low °F | Snow (in) | High / low °F | Snow (in) | |
| Jan | 2.0 | 27° / 3° | 44.5 | 30° / 5° | 18.8 |
| Feb | 2.2 | 29° / 3° | 40.5 | 31° / 6° | 20.1 |
| Mar | 2.4 | 35° / 8° | 42.5 | 37° / 12° | 21.1 |
| Apr | 2.9 | 40° / 15° | 46.6 | 43° / 19° | 26.6 |
| May | 2.3 | 49° / 25° | 18.9 | 54° / 27° | 11.8 |
| Jun | 1.2 | 61° / 34° | 2.4 | 66° / 34° | 0.8 |
| Jul | 1.7 | 67° / 40° | 0.2 | 71° / 39° | 0.2 |
| Aug | 1.7 | 64° / 39° | 0.1 | 68° / 38° | 0 |
| Sep | 1.7 | 58° / 32° | 4.2 | 62° / 32° | 1.0 |
| Oct | 1.8 | 47° / 21° | 22.4 | 50° / 24° | 13.8 |
| Nov | 2.1 | 35° / 11° | 33.9 | 37° / 13° | 25.1 |
| Dec | 2.0 | 27° / 3° | 38.5 | 29° / 5° | 17.6 |
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020: Brumley (USS0006K40S, 10,600 ft); CLIMAX (USC00051660, 11,344 ft); LEADVILLE LAKE CO AP (USW00093009, 9,932 ft). Snow days are days with at least 1 inch of new snow. “—” means the station does not publish that normal.
Cameras, road reports and winter rules
Conditions on the pass change by the hour, so these go straight to the official sources.
Closes for the winter. CDOT closes the pass every winter. It “typically closes on or near Nov. 7 and almost always re-opens on the Thursday before Memorial Day each May.” CDOT: Independence Pass travel information
- For this passCDOT: Independence Pass travel information
- Colorado · CDOTCOtrip conditions and cameras
- Colorado · winter rulesTraction and chain laws
Check the official National Weather Service forecast for the summit and the road report before you leave.
Crossing Independence Pass? See the summit at the hour you’ll be there
Road Travel times the forecast to your drive, so you see conditions at the summit when you will actually reach it, and get alerts about weather ahead on the way.
Questions about Independence Pass
How high is Independence Pass?
The summit is 12,090 ft above sea level, on CO-82.
How far is Independence Pass from Aspen and Twin Lakes?
By road, the summit is 20 miles from Aspen, CO and 17 miles from Twin Lakes, CO.
Is Independence Pass open in winter?
No. CDOT closes the pass every winter. It “typically closes on or near Nov. 7 and almost always re-opens on the Thursday before Memorial Day each May.”
What is the wettest month at Independence Pass?
April. The Brumley snow-monitoring site (10,600 ft, 2 mi southeast of the summit) averages 2.9 inches of precipitation that month, counting the water in melted snow (1991–2020 normals).