Airlines Cancel Flights, Many Students To Get Another Day Off
DENVER (CBS) - A wind chill warning remains in effect on Tuesday across Colorado's Front Range, and chilly temperatures have most people spending the day inside.
Numerous schools in the Denver area were announcing Tuesday afternoon that they were canceling classes on Wednesday due to the forecast for more extreme cold. That included Jefferson County Schools, Aurora Public Schools, Cherry Creek Schools, Adams County School Districts 12, 14 and 50 and Mapleton Public Schools, as well as Regis University.
"The testing of our transportation fleet today showed potential operational problems with buses because of the extreme sub-zero weather which may reach 30 below zero with the wind chill factor. Buses may not start and could stall out because of the cold. There is also great concern for students who have to stand at bus stops and who walk to school," Jefferson County Schools said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.
Denver Public Schools announced schools will not be closed on Wednesday, but they respect parents' judgment and students can be excused for weather-related absences.
(See what outdoor workers are doing to cope with the cold in a report by CBS4's Mike Hooker in the video below.)
On Tuesday at midday Xcel Energy said about 14,000 customers were without power in the cold temperatures around 11:30 a.m. The outages were fixed within a few hours.
With students out of school Tuesday in most districts and many workers staying home the roads haven't been too treacherous. While the morning drive was slow it was generally free of major accidents. At about 6:45 a.m. Copter4 flew over a jacknifed semi truck at Interstate 76 and Pecos in Adams County.
The truck got twisted up in the median, causing traffic slowdowns for for about 2 hours -- until 8:30 a.m.
For the most part the drivers who are on the roads are taking it slow.
While all of the runways at Denver International Airport are open and the plane deicing process is in effect, as of 5 p.m. 250 departures were canceled. The cancellations are mostly due to weather problems around the country, according to airport officials. The biggest trouble spots are in Tulsa, Chicago and Dallas. In St. Louis the Colorado Avalanche game against the Blues that was scheduled for Tuesday night was postponed due to the forecast. More than 6,000 flights were canceled nationwide.
Every major school district in the Denver area was closed Tuesday including Adams County School Districts 14 & 50, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Aurora, Boulder Valley, Cherry Creek and Denver Public Schools, Douglas County, Englewood, Jefferson County, Littleton, Mapleton, and Weld County School Districts 3-J and 8.
CBS4 found many students were getting exercise at a new rec center in Denver's Stapleton neighborhood. The Central Park Rec Center was full of swimmers, basketball players and other families on Tuesday. (Read the story: Snow Day: Rec Center In Stapleton Packed With Kids)
A CBS4 crew also found some brave youngsters who decided to go sledding at Denver's Ruby Hill. The crowds at the popular sledding hill were considerably smaller than normal due to the frigid temps.
Some state and city offices delayed their opening on Tuesday morning. Homeless shelters in Denver also planned to remain open during the day.
