Jan 31, 2008 11:30 am US/Mountain
Icy, Snowpacked Roads Lead To Long Commute
Sunny Weather Should Help Clear Roads
DENVER (CBS4) ―
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Traffic on Interstate 25 Thursday morning after snow fell the night before.
CBS
The late night snow Wednesday left most highways and main roads wet and slushy in downtown Denver Thursday as drivers hit the roads for the morning rush hour. There were many icy and snowpacked spots, even on the highways which led to long commutes as people headed out the door.
Conditions were worse south of Denver in areas like Highlands Ranch were up to 5 inches of snow fell.
Side streets were more challenging with a mix of snow, ice and slush in some places.
The Colorado Department of Transportation and Denver Public Works said the timing of the storm during Wednesday night's commute made it difficult to clear the roads. The snow was packed down during the evening rush hour, which helped contribute the icy roads the next morning.
Increased traffic during the morning and sunshine should help improve road conditions as the day progresses. Denver is forecast to see daytime highs above freezing in the mid 30s, which should also help clear roads.
The weather will be nice and dry through the weekend in Denver with highs in the 30s and 40s. A slight chance of snow returns to the metro area on Monday afternoon.
Road conditions in the Colorado high country were icy and snowpacked in many places Thursday morning. CDOT was enforcing chain restrictions on Interstate 70 over Vail Pass and on U.S. 6 Loveland Pass.
More snow will fall in the mountains of Colorado late Thursday into Friday morning.
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