Rollins Pass Weather
Rollins Pass weather information, including webcams, AWOS, and SNOTEL data, provides comprehensive details on current conditions to make informed decisions about outdoor activities near the Rollins Pass area.
Rollins Pass weather, like many places in Colorado, changes constantly. Add to this, the complexity that Rollins Pass has no infrastructure: no electricity, no webcams, limited cellular signal on the east side, no AWOS sites, and no SNOTEL sites. However, reasonable guesses at the weather and conditions on Rollins Pass can be ascertained from nearby AWOS and SNOTEL sites as well as nearby webcams from Winter Park Resort, Berthoud Pass, Eldora (near Nederland), atop Dakota Hill near Rollinsville, and downtown Nederland. We’ll walk you through how to interpret the WX data below to make reasonable guesses as to how much snow you can expect on either side of Rollins Pass as well as what the current weather might look like. SNOTEL data is updated hourly.
COLORADO AVALANCHE INFORMATION CENTER (CAIC) FORECAST FOR ROLLINS PASS
❄️ Tap to view the latest Rollins Pass avalanche forecast and warning information directly from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) ❄️
Did you know? Avalanche fatalities in Colorado have occurred during the summer, as late as July, and in the autumn, as early as October. Don’t rely on luck. Please stay safe and be backcountry smart; avalanches and avalanche deaths occur on Rollins Pass. Be prepared and carry an avalanche transceiver, shovel, and probe—as well as an avalanche airbag—and know how to use each in an emergency.
Want to learn more about how to stay safe from Summer Avalanches? Read more here from the CAIC.
AWOS SITES: DAKOTA HILL AWOS (KC99)
The Dakota Hill Automated Weather Observing Station (AWOS) known as KC99 is located on the summit of Dakota Hill, north-northwest of Central City at an elevation of 10,938 feet above sea level. (On Rollins Pass East, this elevation corresponds to between Jenny Lake and the Forest Lakes Trailhead.) KC99 is located less than 4 miles away from the initial rung of Giant’s Ladder on Rollins Pass East and is approximately 8.25 miles southeast from the summit of Rollins Pass. The northwest camera provides the best view towards Rollins Pass; on very clear days, a portion of the top rung of Giant’s Ladder can be seen, as well as the summer snowpatch above Yankee Doodle Lake, Guinn Mountain, and the point around Needle’s Eye Tunnel. The west camera provides excellent views of James Peak on very clear days. The FAA’s page for the Dakota Hill AWOS also provides temperature, dew point, pressure, winds, visibility, ceiling, clouds, and more; camera views are updated several times each hour, with camera loops available.
If the content above appears as an empty box or somehow seems incompletely rendered, view it on the Federal Aviation Administration’s website.
AWOS SITES: BERTHOUD PASS AWOS (K0CO)
The Berthoud Pass Automated Weather Observing Station (AWOS) known as K0CO is located on the summit of Mines Peak, approximately less than a mile (0.75) east of the Berthoud Pass summit at an elevation of 12,493 feet above sea level. (This is higher than Beacon Peak on Rollins Pass by a few hundred feet.) K0CO is located 10.5 miles north-northeast from the summit of Rollins Pass. The northwest camera provides the best view towards the general vicinity of Rollins Pass (although out of frame). The northeast camera provides the best look at weather in Winter Park and the Fraser Valley. The FAA’s page for the Berthoud Pass AWOS also provides temperature, dew point, pressure, winds, visibility, ceiling, clouds, and more; camera views are updated several times each hour, with camera loops available.
If the content above appears as an empty box or somehow seems incompletely rendered, view it on the Federal Aviation Administration’s website.
SNOTEL SITES: WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE | BERTHOUD SUMMIT—SNOTEL 335 AT 11,300 FEET IN ELEVATION
How should you interpret this data, below? For example, if the SNOTEL data from neighboring Berthoud Pass shows a snow depth of 59 inches and a snow water equivalent of 15.0 inches of water, this means that you could reasonably expect to find nearly five feet of snow (4.92 feet) and when it melts, it can generate 15.0 inches of water—so a lot of persistent mud—at 11,300 feet on Berthoud Pass. Approximately 9.08 miles away on Rollins Pass West, the elevation of 11,300 feet is found between Sunnyside yet below Ptarmigan Point.
The data provided at this link is updated hourly and displays a rolling 14-day period with the most recent data at the bottom. Air temperature observed can be found in the right column as well—this is from that same elevation and tends to be more accurate than commercialized weather sites.
SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT
SNOW DEPTH
SNOTEL SITES: EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE | LAKE ELDORA—SNOTEL 564 AT 9,700 FEET IN ELEVATION
How should you interpret this data, below? For example, if the SNOTEL data from neighboring Lake Eldora shows a snow depth of 36 inches and a snow water equivalent of 10.1 inches of water, this means that you could reasonably expect to find three feet of snow and when it melts, it can generate 10.1 inches of water—so a lot of persistent mud—at 9,700 feet on Lake Eldora. Approximately 2.18 miles away on Rollins Pass East, the elevation of 9,700 feet is found roughly at the start of the third rung of Giant’s Ladder.
The data provided at this link is updated hourly and displays a rolling 14-day period with the most recent data at the bottom. Air temperature observed can be found in the right column as well—this is from that same elevation and tends to be more accurate than commercialized weather sites.
SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT
SNOW DEPTH
AIR QUALITY INFORMATION
Air quality information from airnow.gov is centered over Rollins Pass. For additional details and to check the clarity of the air, please refer to the webcams below.
WEBCAMS: EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE | NEDERLAND AT 8,236 FEET IN ELEVATION
Be sure to click ‘Play’ on each video as the static image shown is not always current. While more than 1,000 feet in elevation below the entrance of Rollins Pass East, this webcam at Busey Brews Smokehouse & Brewery in Nederland, Colorado provides a good look at the current weather conditions for the east side of the Continental Divide.
WEBCAMS: EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE | ELDORA SKI AREA AT 9,370 FEET IN ELEVATION (SEASONALLY AVAILABLE CAMERA)
The Eldora Ski Resort camera is located at approximately 9,370 feet, just slightly higher than the eastern entrance to Rollins Pass at 9,193 feet. This camera is typically not functional when the ski area is closed for summer/fall, and usually comes back online in mid-October each year. (Note: This camera does not display a date or time stamp.)
WEBCAMS: EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE | BETWEEN ROLLINSVILLE & NEDERLAND AT APPROXIMATELY 8,434 FEET IN ELEVATION
Note: This camera is offline and is currently showing an invalid image. CDOT camera located at the junction of Coal Creek Canyon Road (CO-72) and the Peak to Peak Highway (Highway 119). This CDOT camera is at 8,434 feet and is the closest camera to reflect conditions near Rollinsville, Colorado; the eastern entrance of Rollins Pass is 7.20 miles away (as the crow flies) and is at 9,193 feet. (Note: This camera does not display a date or time stamp.)
WEBCAMS: EAST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE | THORODIN MOUNTAIN LOOKING WEST TOWARDS THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
When the camera’s orientation is west, James Peak is the most prominent peak in the view; Rollins Pass is located to the right (north) of James Peak.
WEBCAMS: WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE | BERTHOUD SUMMIT AT 11,306 FEET IN ELEVATION
Berthoud Pass parking lot camera, looking northeast towards the summit of Rollins Pass (out of frame), 10.63 miles distant. Typically, but not always, the same conditions can be found at/near the summit of Rollins Pass. This CDOT camera is at 11,306 feet; the summit of Rollins Pass is 11,677 (rounded up; actual value is 11,676.79). The elevation of 11,306 feet is above Sunnyside yet below Ptarmigan Point on Rollins Pass West. (Note: This camera does not include a date or time stamp.)
Berthoud Pass camera, looking nearly due north towards the summit of Rollins Pass (out of frame), 10.63 miles distant. Typically, but not always, the same conditions can be found at/near the summit of Rollins Pass. This CDOT camera is at 11,306 feet; the summit of Rollins Pass is 11,677 (rounded up; actual value is 11,676.79). The elevation of 11,306 feet is above Sunnyside yet below Ptarmigan Point on Rollins Pass West. (Note: This camera does not include a date or time stamp.)
WEBCAMS: WEST OF THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE | LUNCH ROCK CAMERA AT 11,211 FEET IN ELEVATION AT WINTER PARK RESORT
WEBCAMS: THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE | ALPINE VISITOR CENTER, ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK AT 11,796 FEET IN ELEVATION
This National Park Service camera is at 11,796 feet; the summit of Rollins Pass is 11,677 (rounded up; actual value is 11,676.79). The elevation is roughly the equivalent of the highest point on the 501.1 Upper Boulder Wagon Road on Rollins Pass, just above the summit. The distance from the Alpine Visitor Center to the summit of Rollins Pass is 35.15 miles—weather systems may vary substantially with this distance. However, this view is great for showing what the typical snowmelt and snow accumulation conditions look like at essentially the same elevation as the summit of Rollins Pass. (Note: This camera includes both a date and time stamp. While there may be a slight delay in the timestamp, please make sure you are viewing the most recent image. Special note about the camera: during the fall and winter seasons, the webcam is placed inside the Alpine Visitor Center—any temperature reflected on the webcam image indicates the visitor center indoor temperature. This camera will also be non-operational during federal government shutdowns.)
SOME GENERAL RULES OF THUMB
If it’s around 70°F in Winter Park, which sits at roughly 8,800 feet, expect it to cool noticeably as you climb toward the nearly 12,000-foot summit of Rollins Pass. Using the standard lapse rate—about 4°F per 1,000 feet of elevation gain—you’d lose roughly 13°F, putting the ambient temperature near 57°F up top. Add a 22-mph wind, and that’ll make it feel another 8–10°F cooler, landing in the upper 40s for perceived temperature. If you’re in bright alpine sun or surrounded by reflective snow and rock, you can regain about 3–5°F of radiant warmth, bringing it back to roughly 50–52°F in full sun. In practical terms, a comfortable 70-degree afternoon in Winter Park often translates to a brisk 45–50°F experience at the top of Rollins Pass—pleasant while moving, but chilly enough to warrant a jacket once you stop to take in the view.
A FINAL NOTE ABOUT SUMMER THUNDERSTORMS
Summer thunderstorms on Rollins Pass can develop rapidly, often with little warning, and pose a serious threat to anyone above treeline. Lightning is especially dangerous at high elevations, where there is no natural cover and the exposed terrain can place hikers directly in the strike zone. Storms can build by early afternoon, bringing sudden temperature drops, heavy rain, hail, and intense electrical activity. Always check the forecast before your trip, start hikes early, and plan to be below treeline well before noon. If dark clouds begin to form or thunder is audible—even in the distance—turn back immediately and seek lower ground. Remember, if you can hear thunder, you’re already close enough to be struck.
A few years ago, while hiking above treeline on Rollins Pass at roughly 11,400 feet and rushing for meager cover as a storm swept in, one of us felt an eerie, electric buzzing through a raincoat sleeve. The static crackled with such intensity that brushing it produced a loud, unmistakable buzz—followed instantly by a blinding flash and an earsplitting boom. This was a near lightning strike. That level of static buildup is more than discomfort; it’s a physiological alarm that the atmosphere around you is dangerously charged, and a lightning strike may be seconds away. At this elevation, with no tree cover and little protection, the terrain offers little forgiveness. If your skin tingles, your clothing hums, or you hear buzzing through your gear, you are in immediate danger. Descend quickly. Avoid ridgelines and isolated objects, stay separated from others, and assume the lightning position: crouch low, keep your heels together, and tuck your head. On Rollins Pass, the line between wonder and danger is razor-thin—and sometimes electrified.
AUTUMN WINDS ON THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE
By early October, as the summer monsoon pattern wanes and the polar jet stream strengthens and shifts south toward Colorado, stronger westerly flow and more frequent storm systems begin to sweep the high country. When this faster air crosses the exposed ridges of the Continental Divide, it drives a seasonal increase in high winds, with documented autumn gusts above 70 mph—and, in some events at favored peaks and passes, gusts reaching hurricane-force levels. Even on otherwise clear days, strong winds aloft can interact with the terrain to produce mountain-wave and downslope wind events, delivering sudden, severe gusts to the Divide without an obvious surface front.
SOUTH BOULDER CREEK AT THE EAST PORTAL OF THE MOFFAT TUNNEL
South Boulder Creek descends from the Continental Divide through a steep, glacially carved valley before reaching the East Portal of the Moffat Tunnel. At this junction, the creek meets the tunnel’s transmountain outlet—where water from the Colorado River Basin joins the Front Range watershed. This confluence creates a distinctive hydrologic intersection: native flows from the alpine headwaters mix with imported water emerging from beneath James Peak. The result is a dynamic system where weather, snowpack, and tunnel operations all leave their imprint on stream behavior. Tracking these flows helps link high-country weather conditions on Rollins Pass with the changing patterns of South Boulder Creek downstream, illustrating how mountain climate and water management converge at this narrow mountain gateway.
If the embed does not load, open the report directly: South Boulder Creek RiverReports page.
NEED EVEN MORE DETAIL?
Looking for details on what the road looks like for the season? Check out our Rollins Pass Road Status page.
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