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I-70, other plains highways reopen after snow closures

12:50 p.m.: All roads in southeast Colorado have reopened following Monday’s storm, according to Colorado State Patrol’s La Junta office.

Drivers should continue to drive carefully as roads still have ice, snow and blowing snow, the agency posted on X.

10:50 a.m.: Only a few highways in the far southeast of the state remain closed after Monday’s bout of severe weather.

Interstate 70 has fully reopened between the Denver metro area and the Kansas border.

U.S. 40 has reopened in both directions from Interstate 70 near Limon to Kit Carson, as has Colorado 109 from La Junta to U.S. 160 near Kim.

U.S. 160 has partially reopened from between Trinidad to Springfield but is still closed from there to the Kansas border.

Two highways, U.S. 287 from Kit Carson to the Oklahoma border Colorado 96 from Eads to the Kansas border, remain closed.

8:40 a.m.: U.S. 385 has reopened between Cheyenne Wells and Granada, and U.S. 287 northbound has reopened between Lamar and Kit Carson.

7:30 a.m. Tuesday: Overnight snow conditions across the southeast kept most highways from Interstate 70 south closed.

Roads closed as of Tuesday morning include:

Interstate 70 eastbound from E-470 to the Kansas border. Interstate 70 westbound was closed between the Kansas border and Burlington but reopened at 7 a.m.
U.S. 40 in both directions from Interstate 70 near Limon to Kit Carson.
U.S. 287 from Kit Carson to the Oklahoma border.
U.S. 385 from Cheyenne Wells to Granada.
U.S. 160 from Trinidad to the Kansas border.
Colorado 96 from Eads to the Kansas border.
Colorado 109 from La Junta to U.S. 160 near Kim.

6:45 p.m.: Eastbound U.S. 40 is closed from Limon to the Kansas border, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. U.S. 287 is closed from the Oklahoma border to Lamar.

Road conditions include blowing snow, high winds and poor visibility, according to the agency. Drivers should not follow navigation routes off of main highways, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

Blizzard conditions on the eastern plains are expected to last through the night, according to the National Weather Service’s Pueblo office, including widespread blowing snow causing low to zero visibility and wind gusts of up to 70 mph.

3:10 p.m.:  Eastbound I-70 is closed between E-470 and Kansas due to safety concerns, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Westbound I-70 is also closed between Limon and Kansas.

Loveland Pass is reopened, according to CDOT.

1:10 p.m.: U.S. 36 is closed in both directions for safety concerns between County Road EE and the Kansas state line, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Interstate 70 eastbound is now closed from Limon to Kansas due to safety concerns. I-70 westbound is back open at Vail Pass Summit.

Soundbound Interstate 25 is closed between Colo. 45, two miles south of Pueblo, to the New Mexico state line.

12:06 p.m.: The storm that hit Colorado Monday morning has snarled roads, compelled the cancellation of flights, and delayed classes.

Shortly before noon, the Colorado Department of Transportation reported the following highway closures due to extreme weather conditions:

Interstate 70 eastbound lanes from Burlington to Kansas;
Interstate 70 westbound at Vail Pass Summit;
Interstate 25 along Raton Pass in both directions;
U.S. 287 from Lamar to Oklahoma in both directions;
U.S. 160 from Trinidad to Kansas in both directions;
Colorado 109 from LaJunta to Kim in both directions;
U.S. 385 from Burlington to Granada in both directions;
U.S. 50 from La Junta to Kansas in both directions;
U.S. 287 southbound from Limon (to prevent congestion in small towns that may not be able to house and feed people); and
Colo. 96 from County Road 39.75 to Kansas.

Earlier Monday, U.S. 6 west of metro Denver was closed in both directions between Mile Point 222 and I-70, and for trucks carrying hazardous materials over Loveland Pass CDOT officials announced staging at the Eisenhower Tunnel.

CDOT officials on Monday morning warned Colorado Front Range drivers to expect potentially hazardous conditions on roads due to snow and ice. I-25 between Castle Rock and Colorado Springs and I-70 east of metro Denver near Limon were expected to be difficult due to high wind. Weather alerts were issued, effective through Monday afternoon.

School officials in the Colorado Springs area announced delayed openings due to the storm.

At 11:19 a.m., 65 flights in and out of Denver International Airport were listed as canceled and 227 were delayed as the snowstorm rolled across south metro Denver, according to the FlightAware flight-tracking website. The temperature at DIA was 23 degrees with light snow and wind, National Weather Service forecasters said.

The weather service issued a winter weather advisory Monday morning for south metro Denver, forecasting up 4 inches of snow south of I-70 and high winds. Most of the snow was expected to fall before noon.

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