A weekend snowstorm pummeled the mountains, while the Denver metro area and Eastern Plains enjoyed mild temperatures and a little sunshine.
Sunday afternoon marked the halfway point for the storms that dumped as much as 18 inches of snow in the mountains, said David Barjenbruch, meteorologist for the National Weather Service.
Storms moved in Saturday night and were expected to clear out this morning.
The heaviest snowfall was in the San Juan Mountains, with 2 inches of snow per hour, adding up to almost 2 feet. Strong winds and some chilly temperatures made their way onto the plains, but no snow.
“Any precipitation is drying up as it moves down the slopes of the Front Range,” Barjenbruch said.
Passes on U.S. 550, including Red Mountain, Molas and Coal Bank, were closed when snowfall of up to 3 inches per hour created an avalanche threat, said Colorado Department of Transportation spokesman Mike Murray. Today, crews will determine whether the passes are safe to open.
By Sunday evening, Interstate 70 had reopened in both directions between New Castle and Canyon Creek after an accident.
Wolf Creek and Lizard Head passes were closed due to severe weather conditions.
Jordan Steffen:303-954-1638 or jsteffen@denverpost.com
