Hwy 285 Road Conditions

From Karen E at 5am:
4:30 am PJ to Conifer

It is snowing harder at my house than it is in Conifer. It is so cold out, I'm pretty sure the water in my eyes is freezing.

Roads are snow packed. There is some lane recognition every once in a while, mostly in the right lane. Once you get to Conifer there is better lane recognition in the left lane. I did feel the tires slip a bit just past Shaffer's Crossing on the way up the hill towards Kings Valley, but I didn't slide.

The drive wasn't as bad as I expected and I did see several plows out.

Have a good day! Drive safe.


From Lisa B at midnight:
Just drove from Loveland to Bailey. Took 2 hours but slow and steady and I didn’t slip once in my Subaru Crosstrek with good all seasons. I-25 south was lightly snowing. You could see pavement. I-76 was snow covered in spots. I-70 was the same. C-470 was snowing but not bad. The canyon was snow covered with lane recognition in the right hand lane. Conifer was snowing lightly road was snow covered in spots. Saw snow plows going northbound. Thanked them for working hard for us as they passed. Started snowing harder and no lane recognition to Bailey. I went between 10-15 mph under the speed limit. It is soooo cold. Be safe everyone. Be kind to each other.

From the 285 Traveler FB Group

Karen E. 5:13am
PJ to Conifer 5:00 AM

PJ to Shaffer's Crossing is clear

Shaffer's Crossing to Sinclair starts to
accumulate with some slick spots

Watch for a disabled vehicle on the NB side just past the Maverick

Sinclair to King Soopers is snowpacked. Layer of ice underneath.

I didn't have any issues, but I am not excited to be driving in the snow again! There are plows out.

Daniel V. 3:50am
Icy from half way up Richmond hill all the way through the canyon, plows are out but not really helping the situation

Kate G. 3:50am
Definitely icy!!!!
AWD 40 and under and it was ok…..

Liz T. 2:50am
We just drove from Denver- it’s icy/slick. We have snow tires on our SUV and drove around 35mph and was fine. Slow & steady. Looks like maybe one pass a while ago by a plow on 285

Christine A. 6:32am
Just came down 285 from 72 in Bailey. Bailey to Pine Junction was clear. Slick after Pine Junction. Bare pavement to the 73 exit to Evergreen. Snow on the road all the rest of the way down. Glad to be on 470 now.

285 Traveler Morrison, Conifer, Pine, Bailey areas

Reports from travelers on 12/1/25:

Megan A 6:45am
I just came bailey to Evergreen and all was good, couple slick spots but mostly wet. Speed limit the whole way

Christy M. 7:02am
Just now, 285/Indian Hills to C470/Broadway mostly dry (yes, including the canyon!) with just a few wet areas. I did not a see or feel any ice.

Mary E. 7:10am
Just drove down to Lakewood from Conifer with no issues. I did take it slower than I usually do tho

Clif B. 5:30am
Good morning travelers, Shelton and 43 are snowpacked this morning if your coming down Shelton be careful on the S curve before 43, it's fairly slick. 285 is partially snowpacked until Richmond then north of there dry 73 has a few slick spots but over all in good shape it's dry north of Marshdale. Happy Monday ...uggg

Hannah H. 5:30am
Mostly dry, some slick spots in Shaffers Crossing and Richmond Hill area but otherwise clear

From Bryan A at 9:42am:
Left PJ on NB 285 at 9:00 am. PJ to Conifer not bad, but right lane snowpacked often. Drive gets worse from Conifer north through the canyon to Morrison. Right lane mostly snow-packed and icy; left lane snowpacked in places. The canyon is all snowpacked; rollover southbound is one mile south of 8, but traffic is getting by. Ramp to 470 is snowpacked. C-470 south (or east if you’re a stickler) to Bowles just wet. Icy offramp to Bowles. Sun glare is tough. Bowles east to Wads snowpacked and icy.
Mostly went the speed limit or 5-10 below; sunny, blue skies, with some traffic, mostly being cautious.

Stephanie J at 8:28am:
Left Pine Junction at 6 AM to take one kiddo to work in Bailey. Snow is coming down really good and roads were slippery. No issues on Crowhill or anywhere else. Then drove mother-in-law to the airport. I was able to go between 40 and 55 most of the way. Snow stopped when I got to conifer and picked up again when I got to the airport. Left the airport at 8:05 AM. Sun is coming out in Denver and warming up the roads. It is 22° by the Colosseum. There was one spun out car southbound 285 just passed Parmalee Gulch before the park-and-ride in the center median.

Even though the sun is melting most of the lanes for all of the highways, the ramp from eastbound 470 to southbound 285 is still a solid sheet of ice. That’s the only place traction control flashed on the dash. Fairly new within the last two hours spin out into the center median northbound at Windy point. Driver has already been picked up. 

Sorry for grammar and typos. Facebook’s autocorrect is terrible and I was dictating.

285 Traveler Morrison, Conifer, Pine, Bailey areas

Updates from 285 Travelers:
Naomi F 7:25am
Just drove Bailey to Fairplay. Roads were snow packed, no lane recognition the whole way until about como area. Then some snow on the roads until just before fairplay where the roads cleared up. Took me an extra 15ish minutes to get where I was going.

Clif B 5am
Good morning all, kind of a mixed bag this morning (as of 3:15ish) Shelton and 43 are snow covered and snowing hard (hyperspace stuff) 285 is just wet but still coming down. It let's up on the north side of pine junction. 73 its snowing lightly and just wet

Hannah G 4am
4am Pine Junction to Englewood: Snowing and wet roads up to Richmond Hill, then dry roads and light flurries through conifer. Nothing past windy point. 4 plows out prepping roads. Have a safe drive!

From Lisa V 9:20pm:
Hello late night drivers! Here's the rundown 8:20-9pm ish. Drove downtown to Kings Valley.

Starting at luge, road was mostly dry until Mariposa/Fire station. Wet with some snowy spots with high fog until Aspen Park.

Just before Aspen Park, moderate fog until Safeway. After Safeway, no fog, wet and more snowy spots.

Just after Foxton thin layer of snow on road, good tracks in many places though. Just before Richmond Hill, road is mostly snow covered.

Kings Valley, totally snowcovered. Looks like Jeffco plow hasn't been thru KV in a while. Hopefully we'll see a plow and some sand before morning.

It's one of those "variable conditons" situations so stay alert.This experienced/confident but conscientious driver, in a Subi with all weather tires, felt comfortable at the speed limit and then 5 under after Staples.

Yay for moisture!

From Nikki K. 6:50am
Well, this is a bit unexpected. 285 is snow-covered coming up through the canyon at Morrison, more at Windy point, and Kings Valley. It’s just a dusting and the right lane is mostly clear both directions, but there’s still some slick spots until the sun comes up.
285 Traveler Group

From Patty D. 9:55am
Jefferson is a white out and VERY windy. Roads are actually clear right now. Clears up some heading up Kenosha. FairPlay was fine.
285 Traveler Group

Lisa B. 6:20am
Just drove from Bailey to Golden and back. Very little accumulation. I’d say maybe an inch. It was snowing pretty good in the canyon on the way there and back. Looks like they put down mag chloride southbound, was driving on wet pavement. Slow and steady in my Subaru Crosstrek with snow tires. No brake check. Didn’t slide once. Snowing a little in Bailey. It had stopped snowing in Conifer. Be safe out there and for goodness sake….be KIND to each other.

John S. 6am
Slick, when I went through the pass heading down there was a semi stuck blocking the up side towards conifer.

David B. 5:30am
Just got to Dia. Canyon is very icy

285 Traveler Morrison to Fairplay