A widespread winter storm on Wednesday in northeastern Colorado, including the metro area, shut down roadways and caused cancellations and delays at Denver International Airport as lingering snow continued into the afternoon under cold and cloudy skies.
Snow accumulation from the storm was heavier in areas east of Interstate 25 and to the northeast of Denver International Airport along the Interstate 76 corridor, said Bruno Rodriguez, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
“There was 8 to 10 inches out on the plains as of this morning, with more throughout the day and another 2 inches or more into the evening,” Rodriguez said. Areas west of I-25 along the urban corridor received about 4 to 6 inches of snow.
According to the National Weather Service, Denver has seen 6 inches of snow, with 9.1 inches so far at Denver International Airport as of 5 p.m., with more on the way. That measurement is the eighth-highest snowfall in January in Denver on record.
Several highways and roads are closed east of Denver, including Interstate 70 in both directions from Airpark Road to Kansas and Interstate 76 in both directions from Sterling to Nebraska.
The snowstorm is expected to taper off from west to east, with a final push through northeastern Colorado at about 10 p.m., Rodriguez said. Snowfall along the I-25 corridor through the metro area should clear out late this afternoon.
“The evening commute through the urban corridor is looking pretty good, although there will be lingering snow showers east of I-25,” Rodriguez said.
At DIA, about 20% of the day’s departures were canceled as of Wednesday afternoon. As of 3:45 p.m., DIA had nearly 600 delays and 307 cancellations when including arrivals and departures, according to flightaware.com.
The storm contributed to traffic slowdowns and accidents in the metro area during the morning commute, including a Colorado State Patrol vehicle that was rear-ended by a motorist who was attempting to pass a CSP patrol car, which was stopped to help another motorist. No one was injured in the two-vehicle crash at about 8:45 a.m. Wednesday on C-470 at Santa Fe Drive.
In Denver on Thursday, the forecast calls for clouds increasing as the day progresses, with a high temperature near 37 degrees.
An approaching storm system, a weaker one, is expected to track mostly south of the metro area on Friday and into the night, bringing light snow to the mountains and a chance of light snow on the plains south of I-70, according to the weather service.
There’s a 40% chance of afternoon snow in Denver on Friday, with cloudy skies and high temps near 30 degrees. Saturday in the city will be mostly sunny with a high near 36 degrees.
