Flying in the mountains of Colorado is now a little safer, thanks to the installation of four more Automated Weather Observing Systems by the Vaisala Group.
For the past few years the company has been working with state officials to install units near passes that aircraft use to transit the mountains. The most recent installations are at Sunlight Mountain near Glenwood Springs, Wilkerson Pass, Cottonwood Pass and at Mount Werner near Steamboat Springs.
The units allow pilots to get up-to-date weather information before they enter a pass.
State officials are hopeful the AWOS units will help reduce the number of weather-related fatalities.