Colorado
Colorado’s first major winter storm of the season drops nearly 3 feet of snow, closes most major highways
Colorado’s first major snowstorm of the season brought large swaths of the Front Range and Eastern Plains to a standstill Friday as it dumped nearly 3 feet of snow in some areas, closing government offices, schools and major interstates.
Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency for the storm, authorizing the Colorado National Guard to step in and help people impacted by the storm and activating the state emergency operations center.
Southern Colorado, the Eastern Plains and mountains saw the most snowfall Friday, with at least 35 inches in Cuchara; 28 inches in Rye and Genoa; and 22 inches in Pinecliffe.
Weather officials reported 9 inches of snow in Denver, 13 inches in Aurora and 15 inches in Highlands Ranch and Lakewood as of Friday morning.
The extended stretch of freezing temperatures contributed to a devastating Lakewood apartment fire on Friday morning, which sparked around 5 a.m. by a space heater set up to keep pipes from freezing.
The fire destroyed an apartment building near Ammons Street and West 12th Avenue, killing two cats and displacing four people, according to West Metro Fire Rescue.
Other than the Lakewood fire, the storm’s impact was mostly limited to major travel disruptions caused by road closures across Colorado. Law enforcement agencies did not report any significant crashes and Xcel Energy did not report any widespread power outages as of late Friday.
That was the goal when Colorado Department of Transportation officials banned commercial motor vehicles and all trailers from most highways and interstates Friday night and Saturday morning, agency officials said in a news release.
Tractor-trailers and other large vehicles were prohibited on sections of Interstate 70, Interstate 25, U.S. 285, U.S. 40 over Berthoud Pass, and U.S. 6 through Clear Creek Canyon and over Loveland Pass until 8 a.m. Saturday.
“This restriction is designed to reduce the chances of semi truck and other impactful spinouts that require extensive manpower and specialized equipment to clear, and often cause prolonged closures of the interstate,” CDOT officials said in a statement.
Most highways south and east of Denver were still closed late Friday, including I-70 east of Aurora to Kansas and southbound I-25 between Pueblo and New Mexico.
The storm’s impacts were not limited to the ground as travelers passing through Denver International Airport faced more than 1,300 canceled or delayed flights on Friday, including 269 canceled SkyWest flights, 127 canceled Southwest flights and 64 canceled Frontier flights.
Snow is expected to taper off by noon Saturday, though Coloradans may see continued travel impacts through the weekend, state officials said.

Colorado
Avalanche Signs Beckman | Colorado Avalanche
DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has signed forward Adam Beckman to a two-year contract through the 2027-28 season.
Beckman, 25, played for the American Hockey League’s Bridgeport Islanders in 2025-26, recording 51 points (30g/21a) in 68 contests. The forward’s 30 tallies paced the Bridgeport club and marked a professional career-high. Beckman also ranked among Bridgeport-leaders in points (2nd) and assists (T-5th), and landed tied for sixth in goals among all AHL skaters. He picked up one point (0g/1a) in two Calder Cup Playoff Contests this season.
Originally drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the third round (75th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft, Beckman’s professional career has included 23 regular-season NHL appearances with the Wild where he registered three points (0g/3a) between 2020-21 and 2023-24. He made his NHL debut on Oct. 30, 2021 at Colorado and notched his first NHL point less than a week later on Nov. 6 at Pittsburgh with an assist (0g/1a).
A native of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Beckman has collected 199 points (104g/95a) through 304 regular-season AHL games with Bridgeport (2024-26), Utica Comets (2024-25) and Iowa Wild (2020-2024). Additionally, he has picked up two points (1g/1a) in four Calder Cup Playoff contests.
Prior to turning pro, the 6-foot-2, 192-pound left wing played parts of four seasons with the Western Hockey League’s Spokane Chiefs, amassing 196 points (97g/99a) across 153 regular-season games. He collected 12 points (8g/4a) in 15 games in the Chiefs’ 2018-19 playoff run. In the 2019-20 campaign, Beckman received the Bob Clarke Trophy as the WHL’s top scorer with 107 points (48g/59a) over 63 regular-season contests, and also earned the Four Broncos Trophy as WHL player of the year. Additionally, he paced the circuit in goals and was named to the 2019-20 Western Conference First All-Star Team for his performance.
Colorado
Where to watch Miami Marlins vs Colorado Rockies: TV channel, start time, streaming for July 1
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Wednesday as the Miami Marlins visit the Colorado Rockies.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Miami Marlins vs Colorado Rockies?
First pitch between the Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins is scheduled for 8:40 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, July 1.
How to watch Miami Marlins vs Colorado Rockies on Wednesday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 6:34 a.m.
- Matchup: MIA at COL
- Date: Wednesday, July 1
- Time: 8:40 p.m. (ET)
- Venue: Coors Field
- Location: Denver, Colorado
- TV: Rockies.TV and Marlins.TV
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for July 1 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
Colorado
Smokey skies and critical fire danger conditions continue in southern Colorado
- Very hot and dry ahead
- Fire weather highlights issued
- Fire danger continues into Independence Day
TUESDAY NIGHT: Winds will slow down a little bit into the overnight hours letting elevated fire conditions ease slightly. Overnight lows will be in the 50s and 60s.
WEDNESDAY: The morning will be less hazy, but that will quickly change with more smoke being dragged across the I-25 corridor with gusts up the 45 MPH. Hot temperatures in the 80s and 90s are expected with very low humidity too. Red flag warnings are active from 10 AM until 10 PM.
Download the KKTV 11 Alert Weather App here:
THURSDAY: Fire weather watches are active for now, but I think those will be upgraded to red flag warnings. Gusty winds, low humidity and temperatures in the 90s and triple digits are expected for some.
FRIDAY: Very similar conditions are expected for Friday compared to Thursday. Very hot temperatures still stick around with gusty winds and low humidity.
THE WEEKEND: The Fourth of July will be hot, windy and dry. Sunday will be the first day that southern Colorado sees any sort of chance for moisture on the horizon.
Copyright 2026 KKTV. All rights reserved.
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