Stalled, spinning, sliding, careening cars.
Icy five-lane interstate highways with no evident lane delineations. The too-slow driver. The weaving-in-traffic guy in a four-wheel drive SUV. Mounds of snow mid-highway that traps cars like quick sand. The guy peeking through a windshield superficially scraped.
Denver commuters, Colorado travelers and too-elated ski junkies heading to the mountains must contend with many winter-storm related hazards Thursday during the first arctic blast of 2017.
In many ways driving in Colorado and much of the West will be an adventure for the rest of the day. It’ll be one of those experiences in which an abundance of patience and caution is at a premium and slower speeds are a must, officials say.
Commuters should leave early to work and expect delays. Getting to work could require ingenuity and planning.
“If you are driving to the airport please take time, use caution and make sure your car is ready for winter driving conditions,” said Heath Montgomery, spokesman for Denver International Airport.
People should check to see if roads, highways and roads are even open before venturing out to work.
For example I-70 eastbound at mile-marker 176 near the town of Vail is closed as of 7 a.m. (Go ahead and stop in Vail — parking in the Vail Village and Lionshead structures is free until Vail Pass reopens.) The eastbound lanes are also closed at Silverthorne and Dotsero because of multiple spin outs, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation reports.
“If you can avoid going out today, do so,” a Colorado State Patrol trooper said Thursday morning in a tweet. “If you absolutely have to drive, go slow, have patience, and thank @ColoradoDOT for their hard work.”
Loveland Pass is closed because of deep snow. U.S. 50 over Monarch Pass is also closed for avalanche control work.
upd I-70 EB MM 176 Vail remains closed b/c multiple spun out vehicles,no est time of reopening
— Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) (@ColoradoDOT)
