Summit forecast, next 72 hours
- New snow5 in
- Strongest gusts35 mphTonight
- Coldest17°F
| Forecast | Snow | Gusts | Temp °F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus DaySlight Chance T-storms | 0 in | 25 mph | High 43° |
| TonightSlight Chance T-storms | <½ in | 35 mph | Low 31° |
| TuesdaySnow Showers | 1 in | 30 mph | High 39° |
| Tuesday NightSnow Showers | 1.5 in | 25 mph | Low 25° |
| WednesdaySnow Showers | 2 in | 20 mph | High 35° |
| Wednesday NightSlight Chance Snow Showers then Partly Cloudy | <½ in | 15 mph | Low 17° |
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 | Molas Lake 10,500 ft · 1 mi northeast of the summit | Silverton 9,285 ft · 5 mi north of the summit | Rio Grande Reservoir 9,492 ft · 24 mi east of the summit | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precip (in) | High / low °F | Snow (in) | High / low °F | Snow (in) | |
| Jan | 3.6 | 34° / -6° | 30.8 | 34° / -4° | 19.3 |
| Feb | 3.5 | 36° / -3° | 28.5 | 37° / -2° | 18.8 |
| Mar | 3.2 | 43° / 6° | 29.4 | 43° / 9° | 15.3 |
| Apr | 2.9 | 48° / 17° | 18.2 | 50° / 20° | 14.5 |
| May | 2.3 | 58° / 25° | 8.2 | 60° / 30° | 3.7 |
| Jun | 0.8 | 70° / 31° | 0.4 | 71° / 36° | 0 |
| Jul | 2.2 | 75° / 38° | 0 | 76° / 42° | 0 |
| Aug | 2.6 | 72° / 37° | 0 | 73° / 41° | 0.2 |
| Sep | 2.9 | 66° / 30° | 0.5 | 68° / 35° | 0.5 |
| Oct | 2.8 | 55° / 20° | 7.7 | 58° / 25° | 7.7 |
| Nov | 2.9 | 43° / 7° | 21.5 | 44° / 12° | 15.1 |
| Dec | 3.3 | 34° / -5° | 27.4 | 34° / -3° | 12.6 |
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020: Molas Lake (USS0007M12S, 10,500 ft); SILVERTON (USC00057656, 9,285 ft); RIO GRANDE RSVR (USC00057050, 9,492 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.
- 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 Molas 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 Molas Pass
How high is Molas Pass?
The summit is 10,909 ft above sea level, on US-550.
How far is Molas Pass from Silverton and Durango?
By road, the summit is 7 miles from Silverton, CO and 41 miles from Durango, CO.
What is the wettest month at Molas Pass?
January. The Molas Lake snow-monitoring site (10,500 ft, 1 mi northeast of the summit) averages 3.6 inches of precipitation that month, counting the water in melted snow (1991–2020 normals).
How cold does it get near Molas Pass?
The coldest month is January. Silverton (9,285 ft, 5 mi north of the summit) averages a low of -6°F then (1991–2020 normals); the summit is 1,624 ft higher.