Grand County Sheriff's deputies on Monday helped rescue several motorists who had become stranded in deep snow after following directions from mapping apps.
Officials said drivers were following alternative directions to account for the closure of Berthoud Pass, where an avalanche on Sunday buried 10 cars.
The pass, about 30 miles west of Denver, received significant snowfall over the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, leading to "very dangerous" avalanche conditions.
The Colorado Department of Transportation said Monday that Berthoud Pass would remain closed indefinitely while the avalanche danger persisted.
In the meantime, the Grand County Sheriff's Office warned that drivers shouldn't put too much trust in navigation apps that may not account for the driving conditions of the moment.
"County Road 50 is not a sustainable winter travel route and all motorists are encouraged to individually review and verify their travel plans prior to relying solely on a mapping app," it wrote on Facebook.
The Colorado Department of Transportation says it's encouraging drivers to rely more on CoTrip, the website maintained by the department that includes current closures and conditions information for roads across the state.
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