Colorado & Denver News

DENVER (CBS4/AP) ― A low pressure system started moving away from southeast of Colorado late Thursday, taking the bulk of snow falling in Colorado out of the Denver area and into the Eastern Plains. About 6 inches had fallen in Denver as of Thursday evening. The snow will keep moving east and out of Colorado overnight.

On the Eastern Plains of Colorado, a heavy snow warning is in effect from east of Limon into Kansas until 11 p.m. where 6-12 inches of snow is expected, much of it coming Thursday afternoon and evening.

Warnings and advisories for the Front Range of Colorado will slowly expire during the evening hours as snow comes to an end. Another couple of inches are possible during the evening hours around Denver before a winter storm warning expires at 11 p.m.

Driving along Interstate 70 east of Denver into Kansas will likely remain hazardous through the night because of blowing snow.

The storm brought high winds and blowing snow to parts of the northeastern Plains and an accident involving a tractor-trailer closed U.S. Highway 36 in both directions between Idalia and Cope.

Fleets of snowplows and other vehicles worked to clear highways and streets in the Denver area all day Thursday. The main roads remained slushy and icy or snowpacked in spots while side streets were snowpacked and slick.

RTD reported that buses were running on a full schedule Thursday, although delays could be expected.

United Airlines said it had canceled several flights Thursday morning at Denver International Airport in anticipation of the storm. A count on the DIA Web site found 166 United cancellations Thursday evening, about 20 percent of its schedule. The airline wanted to avoid having planes stranded in Denver, its second-largest hub.

Frontier Airlines also canceled a hand full of flights during the day.

DIA officials recommended all passengers call ahead before heading for the airport.

Snow ended earlier in the day in the Colorado High County along Interstate 70 were several inches of snow fell during the day.

In the mountains, a train carrying calcium oxide derailed in Bond, spilling the chemical on the ground and on the ice pack of the Colorado River. The chemical is used to make fertilizer and insecticides and residents were warned that it could cause them eye and skin irritation but weren't forced to evacuate, Eagle County sheriff's spokeswoman Kim Andree said.

It was snowing at the time but it's not known yet if the weather contributed to the accident, which will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.

In western Colorado, the highest accumulations were on the Grand Mesa and in the western San Juan Mountains. Snowfall of 13.5 inches was reported at a spot along U.S. Highway 550 between Ouray and Red Mountain Pass, said Jim Pringle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.

He said another storm which will move into the area starting Friday and linger through Sunday should deliver significant accumulations to more areas in western Colorado.

The snowfall will completely end Friday by morning in Denver with partly sunny skies and highs in the mid 20s. Saturday will be partly cloudy with highs in the mid 30s. Sunday will be more of the same with highs in the upper 30s.

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