Blowing snow and ice closed parts of eastbound Interstate 70 tonight through the mountains as holiday travelers headed home, and at least five people were injured in separate accidents on icy roads in eastern Colorado, authorities said.
There were more than 200 people at a shelter that the American Red Cross opened in Silverthorne for stranded travelers, and the Red Cross was opening a second shelter at an elementary school, spokeswoman Melinda Epp said.
Eastbound Interstate 70 was closed Sunday afternoon over Vail Pass and from Silverthorne to the Eisenhower Tunnel due to ice, falling snow and heavy holiday traffic. The stretch from Silverthorne to the tunnel reopened around 8:30 p.m., with commercial vehicles required to use chains.
The first shelter would be used but the second wouldn’t, authorities said.
Blowing snow caused several accidents and other highway closures, including on Interstate 25 from Fort Collins to Cheyenne for about two hours today.
Four people were hospitalized after a roll-over crash near the Wellington exit on I-25, including a 7-year-old boy who suffered serious injuries after being ejected from the vehicle. Another roll-over crash on Interstate 76 near Keenesberg put two more people in the hospital.
In both crashes, the driver was going too fast for snowy and icy conditions, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
Frank Benton with the National Weather Service said snow would continue into this morning, with blowing snow in the northwest part of the metro area.
“At mid-morning, it will start letting up, and we’ll be good to go for a while,” Benton said.
The next system will likely move in Tuesday night with a 30 percent chance of snow.
U.S. 6 over Loveland Pass — closed since Friday — remained closed overnight because of blowing snow and possible avalanche conditions, said Brian Jordon, a CDOT spokesman.
U.S. 285 from Kenosha Pass to Fairplay was closed at 2 a.m. Sunday and stayed closed throughout the day. Jordon said he doesn’t know when it will reopen.
Other road closures early Sunday included U.S. 24 from Colorado Springs to Limon for about two hours and I-70 around Silt for one and a half hours.
Denver International Airport officials said they anticipated 157,000 travelers would go through the airport today despite some snowfall.
“There’s no accumulation, the snow crews have been out all night,” said Chuck Cannon, a DIA spokesman.
Sally S. Ho: 303-954-1638 or sho@denverpost.com
