Heavy snow falls in Denver; see how much moisture this Colorado snowstorm will bring
Rain in the Denver metro area changed over to heavy snow early Tuesday evening. The temperature at 6 p.m. in Denver was 34 degrees, so the snow so far hasn't been sticking on roads but that will change overnight as temperatures dip.
Slick roads developed quickly during the afternoon drive in and near the foothills. A jack-knifed semi-truck slowed down commuters that were traveling along Interstate 70 near the Evergreen Parkway through early in the evening on Tuesday.
As a result of the weather conditions, Denver Public Schools announced just before 7 p.m. that all schools will be closed on Wednesday. Around the same time, Aurora Public Schools also announced they'll be closed Wednesday.
The nature of this Colorado spring storm is resulting in some bad visibility for drivers in some areas. There has also been a fair amount of fog, including in the Denver Tech Center and in Castle Rock. The Wednesday morning commute will be very slick across the state.
Before the snow started, Denver recorded more than a quarter of an inch of rain. The Mile High City is projected to get about 3 to 6 inches of snow by the time the storm moves out during the day on Wednesday.
Fort Collins got nearly an inch of rain before the snow started in Northern Colorado. Some school districts in that area announced they will also be closed on Wednesday because of the projection for big snow accumulation.
Heavier snow totals will be recorded in Colorado's northern and central mountains and foothills. Before dark on Wednesday, Estes Park had already recorded 20 inches of snow and Rabbit Ears Pass had already recorded more than a foot. More snow will pile up through Wednesday afternoon.
After the storm moves through, there will be freeze warnings and watches in effect across many areas of Colorado.
Officials from the Colorado Department of Transportation say they didn't pre-treat the roads because of how warm it was leading up to this snowfall.
CDOT will have about 100 snowplows out in the Denver region during this storm.
