Mountain passes across Colorado closed Friday morning as crews worked to curb the risk of avalanches after the first in a series of winter storms hit the state.

An avalanche on U.S. 50 near mile marker 201 closed Monarch Pass for about five hours as crews cleaned up the area and performed avalanche mitigation. No cars were caught in the avalanche, said Trooper Gary Cutler of the Colorado State Patrol.

An avalanche warning was issued for the Gunnison, Sawatch, North San Juan and South San Juan zones, the Colorado Avalanche Information Center reported Friday morning.

“Backcountry avalanche conditions are very dangerous,” the warning says. “A foot or more of dense snow fell rapidly and is being drifted by very strong winds. Human triggered and natural avalanches are very likely. Avalanches will be dangerous, destructive, and run long distances. Backcountry travel in or below avalanche terrain is not recommended.”

A special avalanche advisory was issued for the Steamboat, Front Range, Vail and Summit, Aspen, Grand Mesa and Sangre de Cristo zones.

Over the past decade, February has been “the single most dangerous month for avalanches in Colorado,” says the Colorado Avalanche Information Center’s website. “Over a quarter of the fatal avalanche accidents happened during this month.”

A “train of storms” is expected over Presidents Day weekend, said Brad Carlberg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pueblo. A winter storm Sunday and Monday will hit the Pikes Peak region the hardest, with 2 to 4 inches of snow possible in Colorado Springs, he said.

Editor’s Note: Storms are also expected to hit the mountains, dumping up to 10 inches in some places. Read a full report for Colorado’s high-altitude terrain on  OpenSnow.com.