Strong winds across Colorado on Tuesday shut down highways and prompted warnings for drivers.
The following roads were closed as of 6:50 p.m. Tuesday, :
- in both directions between Fairplay and Grant, from mile point 183 to 208
A wind sensor in Park County, inside the U.S. 285 closure area, reported 75 mph wind gusts along the highway Tuesday morning, and cameras showed blowing snow on the road, according to the .
That wind speed is considered “damaging” by the , which is part of the same federal agency as the weather service.
“The wind is no joke today! Secure your lawn furniture, hold onto your hats, watch for wayward tumbleweed stampedes, and be extremely careful when traveling,” the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office said in a post on .
Strong winds tipped over several semitrailers on U.S. 287 in Larimer County, . Photos posted by the agency show one trailer rolled down a hill on the side of the highway and another fell sideways, blocking all lanes of traffic. Larimer County sheriff’s deputies and Colorado State Patrol troopers responded to both crashes.
The crashes closed in both directions between Red Feather Lakes Road near Livermore and the Colorado-Wyoming border, but the highway reopened at 12:30 p.m., according to CDOT. At that time, a for high profile vehicles or those with light trailers remained in place.
Interstate 70 was not closed Tuesday — aside from the daily near Floyd Hill — but drivers were advised to drive at slower speeds because of strong winds.
CDOT issued a “” for both directions of I-70 between exit 218 for Herman Gulch near Silver Plume and exit 260 for C-470 near Golden.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
