Early Tuesday morning, an avalanche covered I-70 in Vail Pass, striking a US Mail truck and closing the highway.

Colorado State Patrol reported that the avalanche blocked both the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-70 in an area known as “the narrows.” Police and Colorado Department of Transportation officials could not provide any timeline for reopening the section of highway. The avalanche came during a time of above-average wind gusts along the Front Range and after a weekend of heavy snowfall in the mountains. At the time of this publication, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) has put the entire Rocky Mountain region under a high avalanche warning that lasts through 6 p.m. on Wednesday, January 11, 2017. This is the first time this season that the entire Rocky Mountain region, both below and above the tree line, has been placed under a high warning. According to the North American Avalanche Danger Scale, a High Danger Level means that natural avalanches are likely and human caused avalanches are very likely. Conditions are considered very dangerous and travel in avalanche terrain is not recommended. Farther east along the highway in Georgetown, CDOT has also closed a portion of the highway for “avalanche reduction” measures but this is being described as preventative action. Drivers are urged to avoid traveling through avalanche terrain if possible and to exercise extreme caution if travel is necessary. The CAIC’s avalanche warning map is available below: Your web browser doesn't support viewing this map.