A spring storm that dropped a few inches of snow in Denver on Thursday is expected to continue into Saturday afternoon, pounding higher elevation areas of the metro area and socking in the high country.
The National Weather Service in Boulder has issued a winter storm warning through Saturday morning for Jackson, Larimer, Grand, Boulder, Gilpin, Clear Creek, Summit, Park and Douglas counties. Over that span, the weather service says high-altitude areas could see 1 to 2 feet of snow, with locally higher amounts up to 3 feet.
South of Denver, forecasters are calling for up to 7 inches of snow in the Castle Rock area through Friday night.
In Denver, rain and possibly thunderstorms are expected all day Friday as temperatures top out at 45 degrees.
The service reports as of 1 a.m. Thursday 4 inches of snow fell at Denver International Airport. In Boulder County, in that same span.
“Visibilities will be reduced at times due to the heavy snowfall,” the weather service said in a bulletin. “Heavy snowfall on power lines may cause power outages.”
A winter storm warning is in effect through noon on Saturday for many towns on the Western Slope, including Aspen, Vail, Snowmass, Crested Butte, Telluride and Ouray, according to the weather service.
The snowfall has left roads in and around Denver slick, slushy and snowpacked in spots. Law enforcement is encouraging motorists to go slow and leave plenty of time for travel.
“Your route is going to be slow this morning no matter which way you go,” the Colorado State Patrol said in a tweet. “Slow down, be patient and arrive alive.”
The weather was being blamed for for hours Thursday morning before reopening.
The state patrol reported at 6 a.m. that troopers in Colorado Springs were tied up with crashes along Interstate 25 through Monument where roads are especially bad.
At 1:30 a.m. in Aurora, a carport collapsed under the heavy snow on the 12500 block of East Kansas Drive, falling on as many as 10 unoccupied cars. There were no injuries, according to the city’s fire department.
Jefferson County Schools reported that on Friday while Douglas County Schools said its by 90 minutes.
The Colorado Avalanche Information Center is warning backcountry travelers that danger is especially high because of the storm.
“Avalanche conditions could become dangerous rapidly,” CAIC said in a bulletin. “Backcountry travelers could encounter large avalanches on many slopes.”
Stay with The Denver Post throughout the day for the latest on this spring snowstorm.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
