The spring storm that pummeled the Front Range for most of three days has moved along, making way for sunshine and higher temperatures.
But, in its wake, thousands of people remained without power Saturday night — including nearly 8,000 in Evergreen — and travel was still hazardous.
Interstate 70, which had been closed overnight Friday, was shut down again eastbound for two hours early Saturday evening after a series of accidents involving as many as 16 vehicles near Genesee. Moderate injuries were reported.
The storm also delivered a much-needed surge of moisture.
Carl Burroughs, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Boulder, said Denver received about 2.5 inches of precipitation.
That’s more than enough to make up for the dry month of March. Burroughs said Denver’s total precipitation is now about a tenth of an inch higher than normal for this time of year.
“This certainly will be beneficial in terms of getting things to green up,” he said.
Snow in the metro area appeared to be heaviest along the Interstate 25 corridor and south of Denver.
Some higher elevations in the mountains reported more than 4 feet of new snow, with a high of 52 inches reported about 3 miles southeast of Pine cliffe.
Parts of Centennial had snowfall as deep as 18 inches. A few businesses also reported downed awnings from the weight of the wet snow.
Along with the snow came treacherous driving conditions.
The I-70 closure left more than 500 people stranded in Georgetown and Idaho Springs. They slept overnight in one of three shelters, all of which the Red Cross closed once I-70 was re-opened.
A passenger in a car was killed Friday afternoon on Colorado 52 between Dacono and Frederick. Trooper Gilbert Mares of the Colorado State Patrol said the eastbound vehicle slid into the oncoming lane and hit another car. Michelle Deneau, 45, of Fort Lupton was killed.
Xcel Energy spent most of Saturday restoring power in areas where it had been knocked out. Saturday night, spokesman Joe Fuentes said approximately 7,900 Evergreen customers were still without service.
An additional 2,700 customers were still powerless in the Boulder area, mostly near Nederland, and 2,200 in Denver, Fuentes said.
Extra crews were sent from northern Colorado to help wherever they could, since that area wasn’t hit as hard. Fuentes said all power was expected to be restored by 11 a.m. today.
A large number of Intermountain Rural Electric Association customers in the Conifer area also lost power.
The Weather Service expects warm weather this week. Today’s high in Denver should around 60 degrees, lifting into the 70s by Tuesday.
Denver Post staff writers Kirk Mitchell and David Migoya contributed to this report.
