Denver will enjoy a snow-covered Christmas for the fourth year in a row, with about 6 inches on the ground in most of the metro area by the time the snow stops Wednesday.
The storm leaves a mess on the roadways for last-minute shoppers Thursday, with a forecast high of just 20 degrees.
The metro area has a 10 percent chance of more snow Thursday night and Christmas Day, and gusty winds will create heavy blowing snow at times, according to the National Weather Service.
Travel was treacherous today.
“There have been a lot of slide-offs in the metro area, a lot of property-damage crashes and a lot of motorist assist calls,” said State Trooper Ryan Sullivan. “Drivers are just going too fast for the conditions.”
A state highway department snowplow was rear-ended by a semi-truck on eastbound Interstate 70 at Manila Road this afternoon, causing both the plow and semi to overturn. The plow driver, who was not named, was seriously injured but the semi driver was uninjured, Sullivan said.
Stacey Stegman, spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said the driver went to work for CDOT in 1973.
At Denver International Airport, airport crews have been treating runways since Tuesday afternoon.
Airport officials say that although DIA is fully operational, dire weather in other parts of the country could affect airline schedules.
They recommended contacting airlines before going to the airport to if a flight has been delayed or cancelled.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
