Storm Provides A Welcome Dose Of Moisture To Colorado

DENVER (AP) - More snow was in the forecast Monday for parts of the Rockies and Southwest Colorado after a storm brought heavy snow over the weekend, a welcome dose of moisture after a month of fairly dry weather.

Over the weekend, the Steamboat Springs ski area reported getting over 19 inches of snow while up to a foot fell in parts of the Denver area. The snow was moving out of Denver and the populated Front Range area Monday but the snow was expected to keep falling in the state's southwestern corner, along with parts of neighboring Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Over 2 feet of snow was expected to fall in and around Telluride, Colorado by the end of the day. That's good news for director Quentin Tarantino who has been waiting for a good dumping to film outdoor scenes at a ranch there for "The Hateful Eight", which is set during a post-Civil War blizzard.

Many schools in the Denver area opened late because of the weather but schools in Alamosa and the Durango area were closed. Monday's session of the Colorado Legislature was canceled, delaying hearings on bills on discrimination against gay people and gun control. Many state lawmakers return home on weekends and leaders decided to wait until Tuesday to resume business, given the driving conditions.

Boulder broke a record for the month, with 34 inches of snow compared with 32 inches three years ago.

The Colorado Department of Transportation mobilized more than 600 snowplows and urged drivers to follow them up steep mountain highways to avoid spinning out. Lured by the fresh snow at ski resorts, some ignored warnings to stay home this weekend. DOT said ski traffic returning to Denver was heavy, with wait times on Interstate 70 of more than an hour.

National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Kalina said Sunday that it's a bit late in the month for heavy, lingering snow and low temperatures, but by no means a record for Colorado. March is usually the snowiest month along the Front Range.

"However, this is pretty good for February," he said.

By STEVEN K. PAULSON, Associated Press