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Colorado Weather: Get ready for a windy end to the week along the Front Range, and snow in the mountains

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Colorado Weather: Get ready for a windy end to the week along the Front Range, and snow in the mountains


It’s going to be windy alongside the Entrance Vary heading into the weekend, whereas a lot of the snow will hit the Western Slope. 

The Nationwide Climate Service Workplace in Boulder forecasts wind with gusts from 40 to 50 miles per hour in Denver and Boulder beginning Thursday night time. Larger wind gusts are anticipated within the foothills and out on the northeastern plains.

“We’re in search of 4 to eight inches for many of our excessive mountain areas after which on the east aspect of the mountains coming down into the foothills,” stated Chad Gimestad, meteorologist on the NWS Workplace in Boulder. “We may see wind gusts up round 75 or 80 miles an hour principally throughout that very same time interval the early to center a part of the day on Friday.” 

Temporary snow rain and snow showers are anticipated within the mountains, however not alongside the decrease elevations on the Entrance Vary. Mountains on the Western Slope are anticipated to get 5 to 10 inches of snow starting at midnight Friday by way of the afternoon. 

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Open Snow founding meteorologist Joel Gratz says this yr’s snowfall is common in comparison with final yr.

“Final yr we had little or no snow in numerous the Colorado mountains heading into the vacations,” Gratz stated. “Then, type of had a vacation miracle the place a bunch of snow occurred in late December, which is helpful as a result of that is when lots of people descend on Colorado for vacation snowboarding.”

The Colorado Division of Transportation issued a excessive wind warning alongside I-25 from Denver to the New Mexico state line. In preparation for potential freeway closures and blown-over automobiles, CDOT is staging upkeep personnel and gear alongside I-25. Vacationers, significantly business drivers, are suggested to make use of warning.

Drivers also needs to discuss with Colorado’s Traction Regulation when touring through the winter.

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Colorado wants to force insurance companies to help homeowners understand, mitigate wildfire risk

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Colorado wants to force insurance companies to help homeowners understand, mitigate wildfire risk



Insurance companies operating in Colorado would be required to inform homeowners of ways they could reduce the risk of wildfire to their properties and subsequently pay less in premiums under a bill introduced this week in the state legislature. 

House Bill 1182 would also require insurers to give customers an opportunity to appeal assessments of a property’s wildfire risk, which can lead to increased costs and nonrenewals. 

The measure is the legislature’s latest effort to tackle the growing problem of rising homeowners insurance costs and nonrenewals in wildfire-prone areas of Colorado as climate change increases the frequency and severity of wildland fires across the state. The cost of property insurance in Colorado has become one of the fastest-growing household expenses, with premiums increasing an average of 57.9% from 2018 to 2023, according to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association.

Nevertheless, in eight of the past 11 years, property insurers have lost money in Colorado, said Ethan Aumann, senior director of environmental issues and resiliency at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

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In 2023, the legislature passed a bill creating a quasi-governmental insurer of last resort for homeowners who can’t get coverage on the private market. Lawmakers hope House Bill 1182 will serve as a way to prevent homeowners from needing that last-resort coverage.

Hail is a big part of the rising cost of homeowners insurance in Colorado. Wildfire is another.

Unlike hail, however, Colorado homeowners can take several steps to protect their properties against wildland blazes.

The bill’s lead sponsors in the House are Democratic Reps. Kyle Brown of Louisville and Brianna Titone of Arvada. In the Senate, the main sponsors are Sens. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, and Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa. 

Titone said she knows of examples of homeowners losing their coverage because insurance companies have made incorrect assumptions about a property’s risk of being destroyed in a wildfire. One person’s insurer dropped them after determining based on satellite images that their property was in the woods, even though it really wasn’t, Titone said.

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“We want to make sure that these kinds of situations are rectified,” Titone said.

Colorado state Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada, makes a point before Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signs a bill on April 25, 2023, during a ceremony outside the Colorado Capitol in downtown Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

House Bill 1182 would require home insurers in Colorado that use a wildfire risk model or scoring method to share the details of those calculations with the state and how they affect underwriting decisions and rates.

The models and scoring methods would be required to take into account a homeowner’s work to mitigate risk on their property, such as removing vegetation to create defensible space for firefighters and using fire-resistant building materials, as well as community- and state-level mitigation activities. 

Finally, insurers would have to take into account the state-level purchases of equipment to combat wildfires. Colorado has purchased two wildfire-fighting helicopters in recent years — Colorado’s only state-owned firefighting aircraft.

Insurers would have to tell homeowners within 60 days of a renewal or 90 days of a nonrenewal how they assessed a property’s wildfire risk. Insurance companies would have 30 days to respond to an appeal, and any denials of an appeal would have to be forwarded to the Colorado insurance commissioner. 

The bill, if it passes the legislature and is signed into law, would go into effect in 2026. The changes are a key part of Gov. Jared Polis’ legislative agenda this year.

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“I hear from Coloradans across our state — I’m sure you have too — who either can’t find coverage or who are seeing very large increases and getting priced out of the market for the coverage that they have,” Polis told lawmakers during his State of the State address last month. “And the rising cost of insurance of course doesn’t just affect homeowners. It’s also passed along to renters, too.”

Insurance companies have concerns about how soon the bill would go into effect and their ability to adhere to its changes, citing technological limitations.

“We do believe in mitigation,” said Carole Walker, who leads the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association, an insurance industry trade group. “We have common ground on (wanting) mitigation to matter and we want to incentivize homeowners to do personal- and community-level mitigation.”

The hang-up is around protecting the proprietary technology of the third-party companies that provide modeling to insurers and verifying and measuring the meaningfulness of mitigation work of homeowners and communities.

“It has to be something that both the modeling companies can comply with and the insurance companies can, (too),” she said. “The stakes are really high.”

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A March 27,2012 file aerial photo shows a home completely burned during the Lower North Fork Wildfire near Denver. (AP Photo/The Denver Post, Joe Amon, file )

Titone said she is open to working with the companies to give them more time to prepare for the legislation before it would go into effect.

“Maybe there’s some things that you need to push off a little bit later, but we shouldn’t kick the whole thing down the road just because there’s a couple technological things that we need to address,” Titone said.

The measure was assigned to the House Business Affairs and Labor Committee. Its first hearing hasn’t been scheduled yet.

Type of Story: News

Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

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3 Big Questions for Kansas Basketball Before Colorado Matchup

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3 Big Questions for Kansas Basketball Before Colorado Matchup


Kansas basketball is back at Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday night, looking to bounce back from a tough loss to Kansas State.

The Jayhawks (16-7, 7-5 Big 12) need a strong showing against a struggling Colorado team that has yet to win a conference game this season. While KU is a heavy favorite, Bill Self’s squad still has some lingering questions that could impact their postseason trajectory.

From lineup adjustments to key player performances, here are three major storylines to watch before the Jayhawks take on the Buffaloes.

Freshman big man Flory Bidunga has been a key piece for Kansas this season, but recently he has come off the bench in limited minutes. With his athleticism, rebounding, and rim protection, Bidunga gives the Jayhawks an edge inside.

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KU has struggled with consistency in the paint, especially in defensive rotations, and getting him back into the starting five could help stabilize things. Whether Bill Self makes that move against Colorado remains to be seen, but a confident Bidunga will be crucial down the stretch in Big 12 play.

Tuesday’s game isn’t just another conference matchup—it’s a homecoming for two Colorado coaches with deep ties to Kansas basketball.

Tad Boyle, a former Jayhawk, has been leading the Buffaloes for over a decade, while his assistant, Danny Manning, is one of the greatest players in KU history.

Manning helped guide the Jayhawks to a national title in 1988 and later served as a Kansas assistant under Self. While nostalgia will be in the air, the duo faces a massive challenge—finding a way to end Colorado’s 12-game losing streak against a Kansas team eager to bounce back at home.

Zeke Mayo has shown flashes of brilliance this season, but his offensive production has dipped in recent games.

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Kansas needs him to be a consistent scoring threat, especially from deep, to complement their inside attack. Against a Colorado team that struggles defensively, Mayo has an opportunity to get back on track.

If he can find his rhythm early, it could open up the floor for the Jayhawks and take pressure off Kevin McCullar Jr. and Hunter Dickinson. A strong performance from Mayo would be a great sign for Kansas as it looks to build momentum heading into the final stretch of Big 12 play.

Kansas is heavily favored, but with key lineup decisions, a historic homecoming for opposing coaches, and the need to get key players rolling, there’s plenty to keep an eye on Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.



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Snow set to blanket Colorado, below 0 wind chills expected in Denver and other parts of Front Range

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Snow set to blanket Colorado, below 0 wind chills expected in Denver and other parts of Front Range


Major changes with cold and snow arriving quickly in Denver and eastern Colorado

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Major changes with cold and snow arriving quickly in Denver and eastern Colorado

03:30

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A cold and snowy stretch of weather is headed to Colorado. Accumulating snow is expected in Denver and across the Eastern Plains Tuesday night into Wednesday. 

Arctic blast arrives Monday night, snow by Tuesday 

An arctic blast will push through the state Monday bringing colder temperatures and light snow overnight. Weak upslope is expected into the early hours of Tuesday bringing the chance for light snow accumulations for much of the Front Range. Very little impact to the Tuesday morning commute is expected, except possibly in some parts of the northwestern part of the Denver metro area.

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CBS


Downright frigid air lags behind Monday’s cold front. People stepping outside on Tuesday morning should be ready for wind chills below 0. Actual temperatures will rise to the 20s, but this is just the start of cold days and nights.

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Light snow will spread across much of the state during the afternoon and evening, continuing into Wednesday.

Light, fluffy snow piles up Wednesday morning 

Light snow will continue through 11 a.m. on Wednesday. I’d plan for a slick commute and major delays on Colorado’s interstates, including I-25 and I-70.  

As of now it is looking like widespread 2-5 inches on the Eastern Plains, 4-6 inches in the foothills and portions of Interstate 25 as well as Vail Pass and the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel.

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CBS

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Highs will top out in the teens on Wednesday with wind chills as low as 15 degrees below 0. Frostbite can occur on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes, so if you’ll be outside at all bundle up.

Coldest night of the Arctic blast, dangerously cold Thursday morning

Lows will drop below 0 degrees late Wednesday and out the door early Thursday morning. Wind chills will bottom out as low a 20 degrees below 0.

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CBS


Layering of clothing will be necessary on Thursday. By the afternoon, temperatures will get above the freezing mark, followed by 48 degrees on Friday — Valentine’s Day. 

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Another round of heavy mountain snow is expected Friday and Saturday. Snow showers will spill across the Eastern Plains on Saturday resulting in another round of accumulating snow. 



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