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Colorado weather: Live updates as bomb cyclone sweeps into Denver

Refresh for new updates on Colorado weather, traffic and other impacts from the bomb cyclone

By | newsroom@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:

Get live Colorado weather updates as a bomb cyclone sweeps into the Denver metro area on Wednesday, March 13, 2019.

Resources:

Shelters | School/government closures | Weather forecast | Traffic updates | Air travel

Updates:

9:56 p.m.: The Wellington Fire Protection District reports that it, along with a number of other emergency agencies, responded to a 100-vehicle pile-up on northbound Interstate 25 north of Wellingon on Wednesday morning.

Injuries ranged from minor to serious, but with no reported fatalities.

The crash, fire officials said, began as a six-vehicle pile-up that grew much, much larger.

8:52 p.m.: Samantha Shain has gotten quite used to her new accommodations at Denver International Airport. It’s necessary because that’s where she’ll be spending Wednesday night.

In town for a philanthropic convention, Shain is stuck at DIA — stranded until 5 p.m. Thursday, when she can finally, hopefully, fly back east.

“It’s frustrating,” she said from the terminal. “If the airline had just called it earlier, we could have gotten safer, more realistic accommodations.”

Instead, Shain will be sleeping on an automated massage chair, “which is like sitting on a tennis ball … but better than the benches,” she said.

She tried all hotels in the area but they were booked solid.

Her new flight on Thursday takes her to Washington, D.C., but Shain lives in Philadelphia. It’s the best she could do.

“By the time I get home on Friday morning,” Shain said, “it will be a 48-hour ordeal.”

— Sam Tabachnik

7:34 p.m.: Jana MacWilliams thought her morning flight to San Francisco would make it out of Denver on Wednesday before an anticipated blizzard swept the city and state. She even boarded the plane, which left the gate and began to make its way to the runway.

But the plane never took off.

Instead, Denver International Airport shut down its runways and canceled almost 1,400 flights as a storm spawned whiteout conditions and wind gusts up to 96 mph.

So MacWilliams, 55, set off for home, beginning a day-long journey that involved sitting for more than three hours on the plane, and then spending more hours creeping along Peña Boulevard as traffic stalled after multiple crashes.

MacWilliams, who lives about 20 miles from the airport, started driving at around 1 p.m., but didn’t arrive home until just before 6 p.m.

At one point, while she was on Peña Boulevard, it took MacWilliams about three hours to drive a mile. After she started moving, MacWilliams passed cars that had slid out and others that had stopped in the middle of the road.

“It was a whiteout,” she said. “You couldn’t see.”

— Jessica Seaman

7:14 p.m.: Colorado Department of Transportation officials announced that Interstate 70 will remain closed overnight into Thursday from just east of Denver to the Kansas state line.

7:05 p.m.: While Wednesday’s blizzard scrambled public safety agencies across the Front Range, the snow and wind created an unusually calm afternoon for police in downtown Denver.

Big snowstorms generally limit the number of calls that come in, said Cpl. Paul Waldock as he roamed the Central Business District in his cruiser. Fewer people are out. Schools and businesses close. This time, the police department also activated accident-alert status, which means that police were not responding to the majority of crashes.

“Things slow down a bit,” said Waldock, who has been with Denver police for 35 years. “People hunker down.”

https://twitter.com/EliseSchmelzer/status/1105958445289627648

During storms, the most common calls for the officers in District Six — which covers central Denver, including downtown — are homeless people requesting assistance, Waldock said.

That’s the first call Waldock takes on his afternoon shift. A man name John needed a ride from the day shelter at St. Francis Center, which closed at 4 p.m. Wednesday. During the 5-minute ride to the nearby Crossroads shelter, Waldock asked about John’s life and offered information about available housing and employment services.

John — who didn’t want his last name used for fear it would impact his ability to find a job — said he had no money for a bus to get to a friend’s house. He’d only been in Colorado a month. He was happy to be warm, he said after arriving at Crossroads.

As the afternoon progressed, Waldock’s car radio remained quiet. A few calls about building alarms. A call from a nursing home about an injury. A medical call. A few traffic lights lost power.

Downtown Denver, it seemed, was insulated from the worst of the bomb cyclone.

“This is about normal for a snow day for us,” Waldock said.

— Elise Schmelzer

6:51 p.m.: Denver International Airport officials said Peña Boulevard had been reopened following the removal of more than 50 disabled vehicles, and treatment of the roadway. “Both directions of Peña are passable, but remain snow-packed and icy,” the airport tweeted.

6:43 p.m.: The Colorado State Patrol announced Interstate 25 will remain closed overnight between Lone Tree and Colorado Springs due to Wednesday’s blizzard conditions. Colo. 83 and Colo. 105 also will remain closed through the southern end of Douglas County.

6:19 p.m.: Sarah Brin thought she was making a quick layover stop through Denver on her way back to New Mexico. Instead, she spent 8 1/2 hours stuck at Denver International Airport on Wednesday.

“It could be worse,” Brin said with a laugh, as she sat on an idle A-line train outside the 61st and Pena stop.

Outside her window, a line of cars sat motionless on Peña Boulevard, which remained closed due to several wrecks.

Brin got into DIA at 8 a.m. and was bumped onto five different flights throughout the day.

“After the second time, I decided it might be safer to grab a hotel room,” she said.

As rooms around city quickly booked up, Brin was lucky enough to snag a bed at an Aurora hotel.

She spent most of her day in the United Airlines lounge, passing the time with a host of people just as stuck as she was.

“People had a frustrated but convivial attitude,” the arts professional said. “We were all in the same situation.”

Over the loudspeaker Wednesday afternoon, she heard an announcement saying airport workers would be passing out blankets and pillows to stranded passengers.

“I was like, ‘Oh god, that’s pretty bleak,” she said. “It’s time to get on the train.”

— Sam Tabachnik

5:51 p.m.: At the downtown Denver Samaritan House homeless shelter, a spirit of helping out neighbors abounded.

The Samaritan House opened its women’s emergency shelter early, around 1 p.m., to get women in need off the streets and out of range of the strong storm.

Mike Sinnett, vice president of shelters for Catholic Charities, which runs Samaritan House, said the shelter will house at least 225 women, but likely more because of the weather.

Nissa LaPoint, spokeswoman for Catholic Charities, said the shelter is trying to make as much space as possible for people seeking refuge, going so far as to open conference rooms and put down sleeping mats wherever there is space.

“We certainly don’t want to turn anyone away in this storm,” LaPoint said.

To further complicate matters, the Denver Rescue Mission shelter across the street lost power in the inclement weather, so the Samaritan House extended its kitchen and cooking staff to its neighbors to help feed the 450 folks getting services next door.

“We’re just trying to take care of the men and women out there in this element and get them off the streets and to safety,” Sinnet said. “Our kitchen staff at the Samaritan House is busy getting extra meals together, but they’ll get it done. The whole staff has been troopers.”

— Elizabeth Hernandez

5:27 p.m.: Denver’s government has declared a seven-day emergency order through March 20. It allows the city to access emergency resources from the state of Colorado if needed.

The city remains on “accident alert,” meaning that police will respond to only limited high-priority crashes.

5:16 p.m.: Officials say there are approximately 1,100 motorists stranded on El Paso County roads due to the blizzard, and more than 18,000 residents without power. The Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management is urging “everyone to stay home and staff off the roads.”

Police and fire officials are working to enable better snow-plowing int he area, and to clear routes to hospitals and medical facilities. Stranded motorists are asked to call 911 to report their location.

4:32 p.m.: St. Anthony Summit Medical Center in Frisco is “isolated” after nearby highways, including parts of Interstate 70, were closed due to the blizzard, meaning ambulances, patients and staff might have trouble reaching the hospital, said a spokeswoman with Centura Health.

“This has happened before with big storms, but this is always a concern for access to the hospital (for patients and staff),” said Wendy Forbes in an email.

Traffic is moving in Frisco and near the hospital, but those traveling from further away might face difficulties, she said.

The closures affecting access to the hospital, include portions of I-70, which is closed eastbound from Silverthorne and from Idaho Springs. An alternate route along U.S. Highway 285 is also closed.

St. Anthony Summit Medical Center is activating its “incident command,” a group of employees trained in crisis management that are able to handle operations, logistics, communications and staffing at the hospital, Forbes said.

— Jessica Seaman

4:09 p.m.: The Colorado State Patrol announced that Cpl. Daniel Groves, 52, was killed earlier Wednesday while he was on the scene of a vehicle that had slid off the roadway on westbound Interstate 76 near mile marker 47.

A 2001 Volvo driven by John Carpenter, 58, of Centennial, lost control and struck Groves while he was outside of his patrol vehicle around 11:20 a.m. Groves was transported to the Platte Valley Medical Center, where he was declared dead.

HIgh speed in poor driving conditions is being investigated as a possible cause of the crash, the state patrol said.

4:02 p.m.: Avalanche danger was severe Wednesday throughout the state as strong winds and heavy snow continue to pound the mountains.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center rates the danger 4 out 5 on its scale for the Front Range, Vail and Summit County, Aspen, Gunnison, Grand Mesa, Sawatch Range and the Northern and Southern San Juans.

Steamboat and Flatops, which is at “considerable” danger, is the only region in the state not considered “high” for avalanche danger.

“Traveling in avalanche terrain not recommended” above, near or below treeline, CAIC said on its website.

3:30 p.m.: The Colorado State Patrol tweeted that it is rescuing stranded motorists between Larkspur and Monument as multiple vehicles are stuck in snow drifts. “Cannot discourage travel in southern Douglas County and Elbert County strongly enough.”

3:14 p.m.: Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday afternoon declared an emergency due to the blizzard and activated the National Guard, the Colorado Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management said in a tweet.

The National Guard will be available for search, rescue and life safety operations, primarily focused on stranded motorists, the management department said.

The state emergency operations center has moved to Level II operations, it said, which will bring in more resources to support storm services.

3:09 p.m.: About 100 vehicles are stranded on Highway 86 between Kiowa and Elizabeth, and local firefighters are rescuing people, taking them to the nearest shelter at the Elbert County Fairgrounds.

The seven-mile stretch of highway has been hit hard by the blizzard. The stranded are being rescued by firefighters using wildland brush fire trucks, ambulances and fire department pickup trucks with four-wheel drive to reach the stuck vehicles.

“We are getting to them one-by-one,” said Chief Gerry Lamansky, Kiowa Fire District.

The Elbert County Sheriff’s Office is also assisting in the rescues. County officials are requesting that the Colorado National Guard be called in to help as well.

“There are a lot of people out there, I don’t believe our advice — to stay off the roads — was heeded very well,” Lamansky said.

— Kieran Nicholson

3:06 p.m.: Except for a handful of people headed into Monroe Liquor, few walked outside Wednesday afternoon on Colfax Avenue near Colorado Boulevard.

Inside the liquor store, manager Vincent Nguyen said it was a great day to sell booze.

“People are coming in and saying they’re having snow day parties,” he said. “It’s been a better than normal day.”

The uptick in customers started last night and has continued into Wednesday afternoon, he said. The customer flow is starting to taper off, however, as people start to hunker down at home, he said just after 2 p.m.

He planned on closing the shop about six hours early so he could drive to Aurora, where he lives.

“I’ve got to make it home safe too,” he said.

— Elise Schmelzer

3:02 p.m.: Five hospitals in the state are running on backup generators after experiencing power issues during Wednesday’s blizzard.

Porter Adventist Hospital in Denver had brief power outages and four other hospitals experienced power surges before moving to generators, said Wendy Forbes, a spokeswoman with Centura Health.

The other four hospitals using generators are: St. Anthony North Health Campus in Westminster, Parker Adventist Hospital in Parker, St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood and St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center in Pueblo.

Denver Health, UCHealth and HealthOne said their hospitals and emergency departments are so far not experiencing any issues with staffing or power. Denver Health said it is sending ambulances out with shovels and chains.

Some of the hospitals and emergency departments are starting to see patients come in with storm-related injuries. Porter Adventist is seeing a spike in the number of patients treated for injuries from car crashes and exposure to cold temperatures, Forbes said.

HealthOne has not yet seen an uptick in emergency room visits, but two facilities have treated patients for injuries from car accidents, said spokesperson Stephanie Sullivan.

— Jessica Seaman

2:58 p.m.: CDOT and Weld County have stopped plowing, according to the Fort Lupton Fire Department. The agency said on Twitter that most of the roads and highways have no visibility and are impassable. “Still there are vehicles traveling. Please stay home or where you are at for your safety.”

2:29 p.m.: Wendy Svenson’s commute from her Green Mountain home in Lakewood to her job in Evergreen typically takes about 20 minutes. Leaving work just after noon on Wednesday, it took Svenson and hour to make the white-knuckle commute.

“It was scary as hell,” Svenson said after making it home.

Lane recognition was a definitive problem and drivers were taking it slow, with many driving the middle of the center lane to keep from running off the road into a ditch or worse yet, sliding down a mountainside, she said.

“It was hard to tell where the road was and where it dropped off,” she said.

Svenson, who drives a four-wheel drive Jeep Cherokee, said westbound traffic on I-70 was stopped at Morrison Road with a long line of semi-trucks and cars lined up waiting for snowplows to clear a path.

— Kieran Nicholson

2:27 p.m.: All six runways at DIA were closed as of 12:20 p.m., according to an airport news release. The terminal and concourses were open.

Airlines have canceled 1,332 flights as of Wednesday afternoon.

2:23 p.m.: The Dam Road at Cherry Creek Reservoir was closed because of heavy snow and high winds. Crews were working to clear existing vehicles and then would establish blockades at Parker Road and Dayton Street, Arapahoe County government said.

2:20 p.m.: Comcast customers in Colorado were experiencing service issues related to power outages. The company said most services would be restored in when power came back on. If winds or fallen trees knock out service, technicians will be deployed to make repairs as soon as it is safe to do so, the company said in a news release.

The company also closed its Colorado Xfinity stores and suspended customer service appointments.

2:15 p.m.: CDOT warned motorists to expect more closures throughout the next several hours as the blizzard continued to pound the state. Multiple spin-outs were reported on all major roadways in Colorado under the dangerous driving conditions, a tweet said.

Road closures included:

  • I-70 and other major highways in the Eastern Plains.
  • I-25 at Monument Hill from Ridgegate to Monument
  • All high mountain passes in southwestern Colorado
  • Various closures on the I-70 mountain corridor

1:55 p.m.: Xcel Energy reported 128,096 customers were without electricity in the metro area.

Customers can check the outage map here: https://www.outagemap-xcelenergy.com/

1:52 p.m.: The National Weather Service in Boulder reported intensifying snow along the Front Range Foothills and Urban Corridor until 4 p.m.

1:51 p.m.: Blizzard conditions disrupted RTD services throughout metro Denver. Buses were running at least 15 minutes behind schedule, according to a news release. Light rail also was running behind.

Free MallRide and FlexRide services were cancelled.

Testing on the G Line was suspended.

RTD expected worsening conditions to cause more disruptions.

1:42 p.m.: Denver activated its emergency operations center because of strong winds, tree damage and power outages. Blackouts were affecting traffic signals and snow was covering street signs, Denver Public Works spokeswoman Nancy Kuhn said.

Snow plows were scheduled to run all day and night to keep main roads clear. Plows for residential areas will be deployed around 3 a.m.

The city’s accident alert protocol for traffic accidents was in place. Drivers were to call police only if there was an injury or safety issue such as a blocked road.

— Andrew Kenney

1:41 p.m.: At the Denver Central Market food hall in the Five Points neighborhood, drinks at the bar were popular; ice cream was not.

High Point creamery owner Erika Thomas closed her two stores but decided to man the counter at the market by herself. Her reward for her efforts: $3.25, the value of the single kiddie cone she sold Wednesday before closing around 12:30 p.m.

“I didn’t want to die driving,” she said of shutting down early, a trip to Highlands Ranch looming ahead of her.

Thomas was wearing a hoody sporting the slogan “It’s never too cold for Ice Cream,” Wednesday a sentiment she was questioning as she counted her drawer.

— Joe Rubino

1:37 p.m.: Colorado 83, Parker Road, is being closed between Franktown and Black Forest because of extreme conditions, the state patrol reported. Numerous people were stuck on the road.

1:33 p.m.: Monica Nuiry and Brandon Painter stumbled into the Method Collective coffee shop in Denver’s Highland neighborhood after 1 p.m. and immediately ordered hot drinks. Snow continued to build on the roads outside, the wind blowing sideways.

“Almost every other traffic light was out,” Nuiry said of the drive over.

Painter said the roads were slick but not terrible.

“Visibility is pretty poor though,” he said.

Nuiry said she plans on hunkering down in the coffee shop to study until the storm dies down.

— Sam Tabachnik

1:19 p.m.: The National Weather Service in Pueblo reported a 90 mph wind gust at the Colorado Springs Airport.

1:19 p.m.: Pena Boulevard, the main road to and from Denver International Airport, has been closed in both directions at 40th Avenue to DIA, Denver Police Department tweeted.

1:06 p.m.: Colorado State Patrol reported that I-70 was closed in both directions from Golden to Idaho Springs. And Colorado 58 in closed in both directions between Golden and Wheat Ridge.

1:05 p.m.: Thousands of drivers Wednesday morning attempted to navigate a slushy and ice-covered Interstate 70 east of Denver as a snowstorm dumped inches of snow and winds made the highway invisible at times.

At least a dozen tractor-trailers were swept sideways across the interstate between Aurora and the closure at Airpark Road before noon. The tractor-trailers blocked lanes of traffic while waiting for tow trucks to pull them straight.

The winds east of Denver were so strong they snapped the metal posts of a sign marking the exit for Airpark Road on eastbound I-70. Speed limit signs in the area were bent in half and traffic lights — some no longer functional — bobbed in the wind on their thick metal beams.

Slush and an intermittent layer of ice covered the interstate between the closure and Colorado Boulevard before noon. Multiple public safety agencies warned against driving unless absolutely necessary.

— Elise Schmelzer

12:57 p.m.: Aurora, Brighton, Denver, Lakewood, Lone Tree and other municipalities put accident alerts in place. Drivers involved in non-life-threatening crashes and crashes that do not involve intoxicated drivers should exchange information and report the accident later.

12:53 p.m.: The National Weather Service in Boulder expected the strongest winds to shift east over the plains in the afternoon.

12:35 p.m.: Rideshare driver Drew Peterson pulled onto Sheridan Boulevard, where vehicles were backed up due to traffic-signal outages and the slushy snow on the roadway. He’d been out since 8 a.m., though neither business nor traffic began picking up until the rain turned to snow mid-morning.

“When it was just rain, it was dead,” he said. “Wadsworth at 8 a.m. looked like Sunday at 3 p.m. after New Year’s Eve. Empty. Unbelievably empty. But that time has ended. It’s unbelievably busy now.”

The blizzard, he noted, has reduced the number of drivers on the road. But he’s not alone, and there is plenty of demand. Some of his fellow drivers won’t risk getting into crashes and losing their livelihood when conditions are terrible.

“It’s a calcuated risk,” he said of his decision to drive during the storm.

— Matt Sebastian

12:29 p.m: Aurora Fire Rescue reported that several power and utility lines went down throughout the city because of wind and fallen trees. The agency asked residents to leave the area and report the fallen lines immediately.

12:25 p.m.: A National Weather Service warning said conditions are supposed to worsen this afternoon, particularly in southeastern Colorado. “Near zero visibilities are expected with wind gusts of up to 80 mph and up to a foot of snow on the plains east of a line from Greeley to Denver International Airport,” the warning stated.

Areas near the mountains are expected to see less snow, but strong winds and heavy snow is likely in the afternoon, creating blizzard conditions. The plains are expected to see similar conditions overnight.

Northern Colorado mountains will see heavy snow and windy conditions throughout the day, especially near the Wyoming border, according to the warning.

— Saja Hindi

12:24 p.m.: The Colorado State Patrol has reported that a trooper has been involved in a crash on I-76 at mile marker 47. Updates will be provided, CPS tweeted.

12:18 p.m.: Eastbound I-70 at Tower Road was closed, the Aurora Police Department tweeted. There was no scheduled time for it to reopen.

12:14 p.m.: Winds have begun toppling trees, causing road closures in various communities.

12:02 p.m.: West Metro Fire reported strong winds blew a chimney off a home in Wheat Ridge.

12:01 a.m.: RTD FlexRide services in Evergreen, Brighton, Broomfield, Interlocken, Federal Heights, Longmont, Louisville, Superior and Thornton are being disrupted or cancelled this afternoon and evening. If you have a scheduled trip, you’ll be receiving a notification phone call, according to a tweet.

11:58 a.m.: Multiple law enforcement agencies along the Front Range are reporting traffic lights are out or not visible because of snow. Drivers have been urged to get off the roads.

11:54 a.m.: 

11:52 a.m.: .The National Weather Service of Boulder compared the winds at Denver International Airport to a category 1 hurricane. The airport is seeing wind gusts of up to 75 mph and heavy snow, according to a tweet. “DO NOT EVEN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE IN THIS STORM,” the weather service said.

— Saja Hindi

11:49 a.m.: Winds began reaching hurricane-force levels with a 80 mph gust reported at DIA.

11:43 a.m.: Not that shopping is a suitable reason to be on the
road in this weather, but retail options in the south metro are limited.

Southwest Plaza and Park Meadows malls were both slated to close at
noon Wednesday as a result of the storm. The centers are expected to
reopen at 10 a.m. Thursday, according to management.

— Joe Rubino

11:42 a.m.: In Denver’s Berkeley neighborhood, along Sheridan Boulevard, power went out for a second time around 11 a.m. As the wind howled between homes, a bundled-up postman — wide-brimmed hat pulled down over his eyes, knee-length coat snapping in the gale — trudged from mailbox to mailbox. “It’s rough, man,” he said, handing off a stack of damp letters.

— Matt Sebastian

11:37 a.m.: The Colorado State Patrol warned via Twitter for people to shelter in place after northbound I-25 was closed between Castle Rock and Colorado Springs. The patrol said Colorado 83 and Colorado 105 are not safe alternative routes.

11:33 a.m.: Colorado Emergency Management issued a list of warming shelters and emergency operations centers.

11:32 a.m.:

11:31 a.m.: A semi crashed into a SUV on northbound E-470. South Metro Fire Rescue reported deteriorating road conditions.

11:26 a.m.: I-76 eastbound and westbound lanes are closed between U.S. 85 in Brighton to the Nebraska border,  CDOT has reported.

11:21 a.m.: I-25 south between Centennial and Castle Rock has been closed. The closure begins at Exit 181 at Plum Creek Parkway and ends at Exit 163 at County Line Road. CDOT is reporting multiple crashes on the highway.

11:11 a.m.: I-76 between Exit 75 at U.S. 34 and the Nebraska border has been closed until further notice.

11:05 a.m.: The RTD A-Line between Union Station and Denver International Airport has reduced departures to every 30 minutes due to the weather conditions. Trains will leave Union Station at every hour and half hour; trains will leave DIA at the :27 and :57 marks.

11 a.m.: Rocky Mountain National Park has closed roads to vehicles at U.S. 36 at Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, U.S. 34 at the Fall River Entrance and U.S. 34  at the Grand Lake Entrance, spokeswoman Kyle Patterson said.

11 a.m.: 

https://twitter.com/EliseSchmelzer/status/1105877380227162114

10:59 a.m.: Xcel Energy said 10,000 customers had sustained power outages on Wednesday, a major outage in the Wheat Ridge and Arvada areas, with the rest in areas on the west side of Interstate 25.

10:56 a.m.: Denver trucking companies are pulling drivers off the road as the weather worsens.

“Given the situation, we’re shutting down shortly,” Angie Olivas, a North Park Transportation official, said Wednesday morning.

David Finn of Finn Freight Inc., said his deliveries will have to be rescheduled, although it’s been tough to get in touch with his customers.

“It’s going to snowball,” he said. “No pun intended.”

Power has flickered on and off at his office on the corner of 50th and Washington, Finn said.

— Sam Tabachnik

10:42 a.m.: CDOT closed I-70 in both directions between Aurora and the Kansas border. Cars are being diverted off the interstate.

I-25 is closed between Ted’s Place to Wyoming.

Highway 24 is closed from Calhan to Limon

U.S. 36, parallel to I-70, is closed from AirPark in Aurora to the Kansas border.

10:42 a.m.: The day began with rain, leaving some to wonder whether the storm would live up to the hype.

Rob Roberts stood on his front porch in Denver’s Highlands neighborhood with his two black German shepherds– Beaux and Little Girl — contemplating whether to go to work. Roberts, a software engineer at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, wanted to go in to work, but was given a snow day ahead of the impending snow storm.

So far, the morning mostly brought rain to the metro, with it turning into snow just before 9:30 a.m. and then transforming into freezing rain a few minutes later.

“I’m waiting for the hype,” Roberts, 38, said, adding “It’s a big to-do for what looks like slushy rain so far.”

— Jessica Seaman

10:16 a.m.: I-70 in both directions has been closed between Aurora and Limon, CDOT said. The closure begins at Exit 292 at U.S. 36 and Exit 361 at U.S. 24. Colorado State Patrol troopers and CDOT officials are diverting traffic off eastbound I-70 in Aurora.

— Noelle Phillips and Elise Schmelzer

10:07 a.m.: Snow is pounding Northern Colorado. Northbound Interstate 25 is closed between Wellington and Wyoming, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. CDOT also announced that the website CoTrip.org is down due to too many people trying to access the site. If you’re wondering about road closures, we have more details for you here.
— Saja Hindi

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