Snowy Conditions Cause Problems In Mountains, Metro Area
GEORGETOWN, Colo. (CBS4) - Snowy conditions triggered major delays for drivers in Colorado's high country on Monday, while late-afternoon snow across much of the Denver metro area kept traffic moving cautiously.
By late afternoon, the Colorado Department of Transportation discouraged any driving along the Interstate 70 mountain corridor. For motorists who risked it, CDOT said they must use snow tires or chains.
Perhaps it was the lure of fresh powder that had more skiers and snowboarders heading up to Colorado's resorts, but it was clear that large volumes of vehicles on I-70 were causing traffic headaches in the westbound lanes.
"It took us 20 minutes to make it two-tenths of a mile," one driver on I-70 near Georgetown said.
"In these conditions, it's making me feel very uncomfortable," another driver said.
CDOT said Monday afternoon that wind and snow were resulting in poor visibility along I-70 in the mountains. Calling the conditions "extreme," CDOT said it was deploying up to 50 snow plows in round-the-clock shifts.
"We have many measures that we implement on the corridor to maintain safe conditions, but a critical component to keeping roads clear is drivers being aware of the conditions and having good tires to handle the roads when they do get slick," a CDOT spokesman said.
Blizzard conditions were possible on higher mountain passes with wind gusts near 50 mph. By midday Monday, close to two feet of snow had fallen along and west of the Continental Divide.
A brief break in the storm will arrive Wednesday before more winter weather arrives on Christmas Day.
Travel in the eastbound lanes was also affected by the conditions.
Loveland Pass was closed Monday morning, and traffic was stopped in several places on the interstate, with some of the worst delays at the Eisenhower/Johnson tunnels and Vail Pass.
Officials with the Colorado Department of Transportation posted the following notice about Interstate 70:
Heavy volume, one hour+ delays, avalanche work, traffic stops at Georgetown and tunnel Restriction began December 22nd, 2014 at 9:44am.
After a storm on the first day of winter that dropped lots of snow in the Rockies, more mountain snow was expected to continue on Monday with as much as 14 new inches possible in some regions.
There is an increased risk for avalanches with this mountain snow, especially at and above tree line.
Ski Report
Check the status of trails & lifts at Colorado ski resorts in the CBSDenver.com Ski Report section.
