One more day of torture, the weather forecasters promise, before pleasant, relatively warm weather moves in for the weekend.
The National Weather Service predicts the light snow falling this morning should end before noon. But high winds are expected to whip up late this afternoon and evening along the foothills, particularly around Boulder and Rocky Flats. Winds could reach 70 miles per hour, blowing snow and causing drifts. Some road closures could be expected, such as Hwy. 93 between Golden and Boulder.
Roads east of the mountains are in relatively good shape with traffic moving well. However, roads in the mountains are in bad shape, with chain restrictions on nearly all mountain passes, as well as the Eisenhower Tunnel. Loveland Pass is closed to all traffic because of avalanche control. Interstate-80 in Wyoming is closed between Cheyenne and Laramie due to blowing and drifting snow. Much of the truck traffic is expected to drop down to Ft. Collins, either on U.S. 287 or I-25.
The Colorado Department of Transportation is detonating avalanches this morning on Loveland and Berthoud passes, as well as on both approaches to the Eisenhower Tunnel, which will be restricting or stopping traffic temporarily. Once crews have blasted slides in the worst of the avalanche chutes along the roads, cleanup crews remove the snow and reopen the roads. An estimated re-opening time will depend on how badly the slides cover the roads, a spokesman said.
Temperatures will climb into the 40 s on Friday and into the 50 s this weekend, according to forecasters.
