Jan 29, 2008 10:33 am US/Mountain
Snow Closes Mountain Highways, Windy In Denver
DENVER (CBS4/AP) ―
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Winds blow flags at the state Capitol in Denver Tuesday morning.
CBS
Colder air blew into the Front Range of Colorado overnight, bringing strong winds and snow to the mountains just west of Denver. Several accidents caused by winter driving conditions closed westbound Interstate 70 at Empire for a time. Several mountain passes were also shut down due to adverse conditions.
I-70 also had chain restrictions at the Eisenhower Tunnel and Vail Pass. Loveland and Kenosha passes were closed Tuesday morning.
The weather along the Front Range was nothing like what southwest Colorado was digging out from.
Several mountain passes in southwest Colorado, including Molas and Red Mountain passes on U.S. 550, were closed because of the avalanche danger from the heavy snow that fell there Monday.
A storm front packing wind gusts of up to 100 miles per hour in the mountains around Silverton dumped up to 30 inches of snow in the San Juan Mountains and about 18 inches in Durango. (
Read more about the situation in southwest Colorado.)
The strong winds in Summit County forced the closure of some ski lifts Tuesday at Breckenridge and slowed the search for three missing snowmobilers who had been gone since Sunday. (
Details on search)
The western mountains of Colorado will get another blast of winter as another snowstorm moves into the state late Tuesday night. A snow advisory is in effect for those western mountains for most of Wednesday.
The biggest problem in Denver Tuesday will be the strong winds with gusts up to 30 mph in the morning hours, which will be accompanied by sunny skies and highs in the mid 30s.
Wednesday will start the same as Tuesday around Denver, but without the strong winds. Then a chance of snow will come in the afternoon and evening hours before clearing to partly cloudy skies overnight.
Thursday through Saturday are forecast to be dry with highs in the 30s and 40s.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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