Heavy snow has stalled the search for a hiker who failed to return Saturday from hiking Missouri Mountain, a fourteener in Chaffee County, sheriff John Spezze said.

“The weather has us shut down today,” Spezze said Monday morning.

Silverthorne resident Shuei Kato, 36, was reported missing on Saturday. He planned to summit the peak in the morning and return home that afternoon. Kato was originally identified as Shuei Pako.

Chaffee County Sheriff’s deputies found Kato’s vehicle at the trailhead, and notified Chaffee County Search and Rescue.

On Sunday, more than 45 searchers looked for Kato, aided by three helicopters, but didn’t find him.

The search was suspended at nightfall and was scheduled to continue on Monday, but snow is falling heavily in the Collegiate Peaks Range.

Spezze said no more volunteers are needed for the search. “We don’t need volunteers or family members coming in here and searching for him on their own,” he said.

The safety of unrequested volunteers can become a problem for the professional search and rescue members conducting a search.

Chaffee County SAR North and South, Summit SAR, Lake County SAR, as well as air support from Flight for Life, Reach Air Ambulance and the Air National Guard have so far been involved in the search.

Updated Oct. 10 at 2:02 p.m. The following corrected information has been added to this article: The sheriff’s office originally misidentified Shuei Kato.