Colorado
Busy slopes and messy roads: Colorado mountains bracing for snowy holiday weekend
SILVERTHORNE, Colo. — Multiple rounds of mountain snow mean it will likely be a crowded holiday weekend for skiers and boarders on the slopes, and for those driving up into the high country.
By Monday, a foot of snow is possible along the Interstate 70 drive. The area around Steamboat Springs and Rabbit Ears Pass is under a Winter Storm Warning and could see even more.
DENVER WEATHER LINKS: Hourly forecast | Radars | Traffic | Weather Page | 24/7 Weather Stream
Denver7 Weather
Shops like Blue Valley Ski and Board Rentals in Silverthorne were packed on Friday.
“Today, we sent out our biggest day of the season so far,” said owner Mo Esch. “We were sold out for a while [today].”
Esch said that only happens a couple of times a season.
This holiday weekend between Christmas and New Year’s has led people to his business from as far as the Southern U.S., and even the Southern Hemisphere.
“Lot of Alabama, a lot of Louisiana,” Esch said of Friday’s customers. “Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Jersey, New York, Argentina, Mexico, lots of places.”
Still, there are many more who will be making the drive up this weekend. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is warning them to plan ahead.
“What we are hearing is that there are going to be waves of snow this weekend, fairly moderate snow that we’re expecting,” said Lisa Schwantes, regional communications manager for CDOT.
“Travel during the daylight hours, if you can, because the cold temperatures will definitely impact and affect the roadway. So it could freeze up, get slick out there,” she advised. “So if you can avoid travel at night, I would do that.”
CDOT advises everyone to take extra time and extra emergency items with them, like food, water, a blanket, a snow shovel and a flashlight.
The department also urges everyone, especially commercial drivers, to obey chain laws. Drivers who do not are often involved in slide-offs and pile-ups that can snarl traffic and prevent plows from getting through, according to Schwantes.
The extra precautions are worth it to safely enjoy spending the holidays in the Colorado mountains.
“I hardly remember any of the Christmas presents I got, but I remember every single ski vacation my family ever took,” Esch recalled. “It was really just something I hold near and dear to my heart. So that’s one of the reasons why I just, I like to share that with other people.”
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) is warning backcountry travelers to be careful, as this weekend’s heavy snow and high winds will bring high avalanche danger.
Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
Colorado
These wind gusts in Colorado reached the strength of a Category 3 hurricane
DENVER (KDVR) — Strong wind gusts at the speed of a Category 3 hurricane swept through two Colorado counties on Wednesday.
Strong winds blew through the state on Wednesday, leaving tens of thousands without power, causing safety road closures and recording wind gusts reaching over 100 mph. In some areas, winds were even higher, with Summit and Grand counties seeing 124 mph wind gusts.
At 9 p.m. on Wednesday, one weather station on top of Breckenridge Peak 6 picked up a wind gust of 124 mph in Summit County. Then, at 9:52 p.m., another weather station at Parsenn Bowl Summit in Grand County picked up a wind gust of 124 mph, according to National Weather Service records.
These two wind gusts weren’t only the strongest gusts on Wednesday, they were so strong that they were comparable to the strength of a devastating hurricane.
The Pinpoint Weather team said it was the strength of a high-end Category 3 hurricane. These winds also compare to a high-end EF2 tornado, which could damage one or two family residences, according to NWS.
These weren’t the only areas that saw high winds. Several counties across Colorado saw winds higher than 100 mph throughout Wednesday.
The Pinpoint Weather team expects the wind to continue into Friday with continued fire danger. The winds are expected to slow down throughout the weekend.
Colorado
Some Colorado schools will be closed Thursday due to power outages
Some students at Colorado schools won’t be going to school on Thursday. That’s after strong winds on Wednesday on the Front Range and in the foothills caused power outages.
More than 100,000 customers were without power late in the day on Wednesday.
The closed schools include all of the Boulder Valley School District and 25 schools in Jeffco Public Schools. Schools in Gilpin County and Clear Creek County are also going to be closed.
See the full list of school closings.
Colorado
Colorado road conditions: High winds close roads, highways across Front Range
High winds roaring across the Front Range foothills on Wednesday forced road closures throughout northern and central Colorado, according to state transportation officials.
A wind storm is expected to bring gusts reaching 80 to 90 mph through the entire Interstate 25 corridor, from the Wyoming to New Mexico state lines, according to the National Weather Service.
Colorado Department of Transportation officials announced planned closures of Colorado 93, U.S. 128 and U.S. 287 starting at noon because of the high winds, with no estimated time of reopening. A “high wind caution” was also issued for roads in Clear Creek and Jefferson counties.
Some roads may also be closed to high-profile vehicles like tractor-trailers, RVs, campers or light vehicles because of the risk of blowing over, CDOT officials said.
Traffic signals that are dark because of power cuts should be treated as four-way stops.
Colorado road and highway closures as of 1 p.m.:
This is a developing story and may be updated.
Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day.
-
Iowa4 days agoAddy Brown motivated to step up in Audi Crooks’ absence vs. UNI
-
Washington1 week agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa5 days agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
Maine2 days agoElementary-aged student killed in school bus crash in southern Maine
-
Maryland4 days agoFrigid temperatures to start the week in Maryland
-
Technology1 week agoThe Game Awards are losing their luster
-
South Dakota4 days agoNature: Snow in South Dakota
-
Nebraska1 week agoNebraska lands commitment from DL Jayden Travers adding to early Top 5 recruiting class