The Front Range is positioned for a one-two punch of heavy snowfall and strong wind gusts, creating a perfect storm of slick roads and reduced visibility for the next two days.
“If you don’t have to drive, I wouldn’t,” said Kathy Torgerson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pueblo. “Just watch the weather and be prepared.”
The Denver metro area is expected to receive anywhere from 8 to 14 inches of snow by the end of Tuesday, according to the Weather Service. Parts of southern Colorado, where the storm is expected to hit the hardest, have been issued a winter storm watch until Monday night.
The potential for rising wind speeds has also raised concerns for meteorologists. Kyle Fredin, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Boulder, said the combination of wind gusts and heavy snow could decrease visibility to as little as a quarter mile in certain areas.
“It’s going to be a wintery picture coming up over the next 48 hours statewide,” Fredin said.
The Colorado Department of Transportation also warned people to stay home.
CDOT spokesman Mike Murray advised those who have to venture outside to allow for extra travel time and give other cars more space on the roads. Murray also said travelers should ensure they have enough windshield-wiper fluid and gas in their tanks.
CDOT maintenance crews began alternating 12-hour shifts Sunday. Ninety plows will be in service in the Denver area until the storm subsides.
The Colorado State Patrol urged drivers to check the tread on their tires before heading out. Trooper Tim Sutherland said conditions on local streets will probably be the most dangerous because they’re the last to get plowed.
The heaviest snowfall is expected in the eastern San Juan Mountains. Torgerson said that region could receive up to 4 feet of snow by Tuesday.
Several areas across Colorado, including Steamboat Springs, the Front Range, Vail and Summit County, Aspen and Grand Mesa are under an avalanche watch until noon Monday. Gunnison is under an avalanche warning until 6 p.m. Monday.
The snow began Saturday night, when the first of two storm systems moved in, dropping a few inches across the state. The second system was expected to begin Sunday evening and last throughout Monday, when temperatures will peak in the upper 20s.
Tuesday will mark the coldest day of the storm, with temperatures in the lower 20s as the snowfall tapers off.
The storm has complicated travel for folks flying out of Denver International Airport.
As of Sunday afternoon, DIA reported 150 flight cancellations for Monday, according to a news release from the airport.
Frontier canceled 60 of its arrivals and departures in Denver, said Jim Faulkner , an airline spokesperson. Frontier will allow customers who purchased tickets before Saturday and were scheduled to travel during the storm to change their itineraries without paying additional fees.
United Airlines canceled several lightly booked regional flights out of DIA on Sunday evening. United’s cancellation policy is similar to Frontier’s.
As of Sunday night, the Regional Transportation District hadn’t changed or canceled routes for the next few days. RTD will begin updating the public about route closures and delays Monday.
