The Denver metro area got its first snowfall of the season today.
9News meteorologist Ashton Altieri says Douglas County, which is almost entirely above 6,000 feet, was the worst hit area along the urban corridor today with 1 to 4 inches of snow. Other higher locations received a dusting as well. (See full story, )
Rain, sleet and snow across Colorado postponed events scheduled today and made for treacherous driving conditions.
The scarecrow festival in Arvada will have to wait until next Saturday. Likewise, a Halloween pet parade scheduled at Elitch Gardens has been put off and the amusement park is closed.
But in Arapahoe County, the popular “Punkin Chunkin” event is going forward until 6 p.m. at the Arapahoe County Fairgrounds, albeit indoors instead of outdoors.
The weather has triggered numerous accidents across the state including one at Castle Pines Pkwy. Interstate-25 was closed until about 11 a.m. because of the accident.
The Douglas Regional Dispatch center experienced a high call volume about a power outage that affected Castle Rock, Sedalia, Larkspur, Perry Park, Franktown, the Pinery, parts of Parker, Elizabeth and Kiowa.
The outage was traced to a tree falling into a power line and power was being restored.
Chain law restrictions will bog down traffic in the mountains where snow began to accumulate on some roads.
Snow was not only falling in Breckenridge but also in Centennial and Evergreen, said Frank Cooper, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Boulder.
“People need to exercise caution while they’re driving,” Cooper said. “The roads are wet and could be slick in spots. Don’t be in a big rush.”
Temperatures dipped to the 30s in the Denver metro area including in the low 30s in Centennial. It was 38 degrees at Denver International Airport at 8 a.m.
Slightly more than two-tenths of an inch of rain fell overnight at DIA and that amount is expected to double by nightfall, Cooper said.
Four inches of snow was reported 6 miles southwest of Evergreen, he said. Genesee got 3 inches of snow.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for the mountains up until 6 p.m. tonight.
Chain laws were in effect for commercial vehicles including on Interstate-70 at Vail Pass and approaching the Eisenhower tunnel from the East, said Mark Aultman, spokesman for the Colorado Transportation Department.
An accident on northbound I-25 closed traffic between 4:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m., Aultman said.
Temperatures are expected to rise to the mid 40s today in the Denver metro area, where rain mixing with snow is expected to fall most of the day.
By Sunday the storm should be clearing with only a 10 percent chance of moisture, Cooper said. Temperatures will rise to the mid 50s tomorrow and mid 60s Monday. By Tuesday, temperatures could reach back up into the 70s, he said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
