Snow in March is no surprise, but high wind, power outages, pileups and pleas for motorists to get off the highways Tuesday night delivered a punch in the nose to Colorado after days that signaled spring.
At midevening, the National Weather Service reported snow was falling in south metro Denver at rates of 1 to 3 inches an hour along the Interstate 25 corridor.By the time the storm ends this evening, parts of Denver could see up to 18 inches and the foothills could get up to 25 inches. Northwest winds up 30 to mph along I-25 also are expected to create treacherous conditions, according to a warning from the Weather Service.
“Travel along the Front Range is strongly discouraged this evening,” the Weather Service reported at 8:30 p.m.
Fender-benders, spinouts, temporary interstate closures and slush- bound traffic jams were being reported long past rush hour, with near white-out conditions in many areas, according to weather and highway officials.
The Colorado Department of Transportation closed more than 22 miles of Interstate 25 between Lincoln Avenue and Greenland in Douglas County at about 9:30 p.m. because of hazardous driving conditions. Ten inches of snow had fallen in just a few hours, and traffic was totally stalled.
“If cars are sitting there and can’t move, then neither can our plows, so it would definitely help if people got off the roads as quickly as possible,” said Stacey Stegman, a CDOT spokeswoman.
Dozens of snowplows
Countless motorists were also stuck on U.S. 36, and road closures included I-70 between Vail and Vail pass, eastbound I-70 from Silverthorne to the Eisenhower Tunnel, and I-70 from Idaho Springs to Genesee.
Transportation officials were using 74 snow plows overnight and into this morning to deal with the storm, and Denver Public Works had 68 heavy plows deployed.
The warm weather that followed last Friday’s storm left pavement warm enough to keep roads slushy rather than snowpacked and icy in the early evening.
“But tomorrow, after it’s been cold awhile, we could start to see some ice,” Stegman said.
An overnight low of 24 degrees was expected, with temperatures climbing only into the mid-30s today.
Xcel Energy reported weather-related power outages across the metro region, affecting thousands of homes and businesses.
School closures will be widespread today, including the Aurora, Denver, Jefferson County, Douglas, Poudre and Cherry Creek school districts.
The storm also was hobbling travel in and out of Denver International Airport, as backlogs of planes being de-iced limited departing flights and plows tried to clear runways.
The pileup on the ground caused the airport to put a hold on any arrivals, keeping Denver-bound flights on the ground in the originating cities.
United and Frontier airlines are allowing passengers affected by the weather to change their tickets without penalty. Details about delays and cancellations are available on airline websites.
Clear skies and warm temperatures, however, should make a quick return — with highs in the mid-40s to mid-50s for Thursday through the weekend, with temperatures approaching 70 degrees early next week, according to the Weather Service.
Hail pelted parts of the metro area and thunder rolled through downtown early Tuesday evening as the storm gained strength after dusk.
By 5 p.m. Tuesday, Claudia Gutierrez was watching her world transform.
“It’s snowing really bad in Westminster,” she said. “Cars and grass are covered in snow already.”
Sports facing delays
Isolated showers forecast for the metro region Saturday will make things iffy for the Colorado Fusion Youth Soccer Club.
“We already lost last weekend’s games because we had the better part of a foot of snow on Saturday,” said executive director Jeff Park. “We’re hoping the new weather system clears up by the weekend.”
Weather also could be a challenge for the State Cup competition for Colorado’s youth soccer leagues, which could mean another bout of rescheduling.
“We’re supposed to play two times this weekend,” Park said. “but they might need to reschedule or postpone.”
Plans to begin a major landscape restoration at Riverside Cemetery on Thursday are riding on the weather.
Al Gerace, owner of Welby Gardens, plans to plant 30,000 tulip bulbs in the historic cemetery as part of a revitalization project that will run throughout the summer.
“If we get 4 inches of snow (on Wednesday), then there’s still a chance of doing it on Thursday, but if we get a foot, we may try to sandwich it in on Friday,” said Gerace, who donated the bulbs in memory of family members buried there.
“It looks like there’s something coming in on Saturday. That’s the story of landscape gardeners,” he said. “The weather is the boss.”
Denver’s oldest cemetery lost most of its grass and trees in the 2002-03 drought, but a coterie of landscape designers — led by the Colorado Association of Lawn Care Professionals — banded together to volunteer to replant the area.
“We’re prepared to be flexible,” said Patricia Carmody, head of the Fairmount Heritage Foundation, which coordinates the restoration program.
“Anyone who’s lived in Colorado for any length of time knows you could have all four seasons in one day at this time of year,” she said. “You always need a Plan B.”
Colleen O’Connor: 303-954-1083 or coconnor@denverpost.com
