Denver, CO

Denver International Airport adds 48 machines to snow removal unit

Published

1 year ago

September 18, 2024

Press Room

Denver International Airport adds 48 machines to snow removal unit

DENVER — For Denver International Airport, preparations for winter weather begin in the summer.

Over the past two years, the airport has added 48 “multi-functional units” to its snow removal arsenal.

Kyle Lester, vice president of maintenance, said these machines aren’t like your typical snow plow. The units can plow, brush and blow snow off the runways.

Richard Butler

“These are units that have a 44-foot plow, 22-foot broom, so they can mechanically remove all the snow on the airfield or on the runway and then broom it off to meet traction requirements for planes to land,” Lester explained.

The airport’s previous plows were about 15 years old. Lester said the new units are quicker and more reliable.

“It’s a very impressive operation to see all the lines that go out. There’s about 48 pieces of equipment on when we go to clear a runway,” Lester said. “As the snow comes in, teams are activated. They show up here at work and are on constant alert. So it’s kind of like a firehouse in that sense.”

DIA Denver International Airport snow removal

During storms this winter, the airport will deploy about 330 employees to clear snow from runways, roadways and parking lots. Lester said his team recently completed training, and the staffing is back to pre-pandemic levels.

“A typical training routine would be a classroom session for five to eight hours, then about 40 hours of hands-on training, both ride along with a qualified operator then operating with a trainer,” he said.

Now that training is complete, the team is ready to respond when the first snow falls.

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Denver, CO

Rain returns to Denver metro on Thursday; snow stays mostly in the higher terrain

Published

11 hours ago

November 19, 2025

Press Room

Rain returns to Denver metro on Thursday; snow stays mostly in the higher terrain

DENVER — We’re in for a quiet night ahead, staying mostly dry and mild. The waiting game begins as the next system approaches Colorado.

Clouds increase throughout Thursday with cooler afternoon highs in the low 50s.

A complex storm arrives, and with models disagreeing on the details, confidence remains low for snowfall in the metro.

Expect rain to move in first. Pockets of rain and snow are possible later, mainly across higher terrain and areas farther east.

Rain returns Thursday; snow stays mostly in the higher terrain

On Friday morning, rain will continue for most of the metro and plains.

However, the Front Range mountains, foothills, and the Palmer Divide could see snow accumulation.

Precipitation should taper off Friday afternoon as the system weakens and moves east.

Heading into the weekend, dry air returns with temperatures bouncing back to slightly above normal.

We should stay quiet through the weekend.

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Denver, CO

Adams County Veterans Memorial vandalized again, just hours after Veterans Day

Published

1 day ago

November 19, 2025

Press Room

Adams County Veterans Memorial vandalized again, just hours after Veterans Day

DENVER (KDVR) — The Adams County Veterans Memorial, a place built for quiet reflection, was left damaged and vandalized just hours after residents gathered to celebrate Veterans Day.

County leaders say they’re frustrated, and crews are once again being forced to repair a monument that’s been targeted repeatedly since it opened.

The Adams County Veterans Memorial, designed to resemble the World War II battleship USS Colorado, had been covered in flowers earlier this month for Veterans Day.

“We do a great event every Veterans Day,” said Byron Fanning, Adams County’s director of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Arts. “You can take a flower and place it at our remembrance wall in honor of somebody that you want to honor that’s important to your life.”

The morning after the holiday, Fanning said he discovered graffiti on the sidewalk, and a park bench soaked in paint. There was also damage to the plumbing system, which now needs to be pumped out.

Crews remove a bench from the Adams County Veterans Memorial after vandal dumped a bucket of paint on it. (Adams County)

“It really hurt my heart,” Fanning said.

Fanning described the graffiti as “gibberish” but said photos of it have been blurred while the sheriff’s office investigates.

Graffiti at Adams County Veterans Memorial. (Adams County)

Most of the cleanup work is already done. Crews removed graffiti that had been sprayed across the walkway and took out a bench for repairs after someone dumped a bucket of paint on it.

And it’s nothing crews aren’t used to. Fanning say this is the tenth time the memorial has been vandalized since it opened in 2023.

“Some of them are small, just a little graffiti on the railings or on some of the structures behind me,” Fanning said. “But some of them have been rather extensive.”

Hoping to protect the memorial as a place to honor those who served, Fanning offered a simple plea to the public.

“Please stop,” he said. “Please show some respect for who this was built to honor, and for those veterans that mean so much to our community. You’re disrespecting them, and it’s not okay.”

Officials estimate the latest cleanup cost about $3,000. The county is working to install security cameras, and the sheriff’s office is increasing nighttime patrols in hopes of preventing future vandalism.

The county is also asking visitors to report any vandalism to law enforcement.

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Denver, CO

Nine in 10 Denver area homes lost value in the past year, Zillow reports

Published

2 days ago

November 18, 2025

Press Room

Nine in 10 Denver area homes lost value in the past year, Zillow reports

Metro Denver is leading the country for the share of homes that have lost value over the past year, with 9 in 10 homes down in price compared to only half nationally, according to an analysis from Zillow.

About 91% of metro Denver homes lost value in the past year compared to 53% nationally. Denver edges out other once-hot metros like Austin, with 89.5% of homes down in value and Phoenix, with 86.9% down the past year.

Home prices have bounced around in a narrow band since the peak in June 2022, making it hard to discern the overall trend. Overall, Denver home prices are about 10% below the peak, matching the average decline measured nationally, Zillow said.

“Denver’s home values were growing in 2024, so it’s natural to see a bit more giveback now. What stands out more is the depth of the losses. The average Denver home has lost about the same as the national average, while Austin’s average drop is more than twice that,” said Mischa Fisher, Zillow’s new chief economist, in an email.

While nearly all Denver homeowners have lost equity, those losses are mild and very much in line with what homeowners across the country are experiencing when measured from the peak, he said.

If the declines accelerate, however, the situation could prove problematic for first-time buyers who bought near the top, especially if they made only a small down payment and are forced to sell.

The Zillow Home Value Index for metro Denver, which includes both homes and condos, peaked at $592,969 in June 2022. Last month, its index reported a value of $530,699. That represents a decline of $62,270 or 10.5%.

In Colorado, the average commission that a seller pays is 5.65% of the sales price, which would mean about $30,000 that needs to be covered. Someone who bought a typical home at the peak and sold last month would be down about $92,000, not counting other closing costs.

Back in 2022, the average down payment a first-time buyer made was 6%, according to the National Association of Realtors. And someone using a 30-year mortgage might pay down principal by about 5% or 6% in the first three years. It isn’t 10% because the bulk of monthly payments in the earliest years of a mortgage go to cover interest.

Vulnerable buyers, however, represent a small share of the overall market. The volume of activity or turnover has slowed down since the peak, and of the homes that do sell, only a quarter to a third are claimed by first-time buyers. Depending on where they bought, when they bought, and how much they put down, even those buyers might still have equity.

“Absent a major hit to the economy, most of today’s paper losses will likely have turned into profits down the road when recent buyers sell,” predicted Fisher.

Another way to look at the stress on a specific housing market is what share of homes are being listed below the last price paid. From that viewpoint, Denver’s market is still in good shape.

About 6.3% of homes in metro Denver are being listed below the prior sales price, which compares to 3.4% nationally, according to Zillow. The metros with the biggest shares of homes being discounted are San Francisco, 14%; Austin, 13%; San Jose, Calif., 9% and San Antonio at 8%.

In 2019, 0.6% of homes sold below the prior sales price in Denver, compared to 5.9% nationally. That measure has improved nationally but deteriorated locally. Building equity looks like it will be more of a slog for buyers who started down the home ownership trail late in metro Denver, and they will need to watch their footing. But patience will still be rewarded, Fisher argues.

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