Denver walloped by overnight snowstorm causing hazardous conditions on I-70, I-25
The National Weather Service in Denver upgraded those alerts to a Winter Storm Warning about 10 p.m. Thursday, prompted by a snow band that had already delivered 5-12 inches of accumulation to Jefferson and Douglas counties.
Snow blasting through Denver with patchy ice causing headache for Friday morning rush
An overnight snowstorm blanketed the Denver metropolitan area and surrounding foothills, creating treacherous travel conditions and prompting widespread weather alerts.
DENVER – An overnight snowstorm blanketed the Denver metropolitan area and surrounding foothills, creating treacherous travel conditions and prompting widespread weather alerts.
The National Weather Service in Denver upgraded those alerts to a Winter Storm Warning about 10 p.m. Thursday, prompted by a snow band that had already delivered 5-12 inches of accumulation to Jefferson and Douglas counties.
Footage filmed by Jennifer Broome on Thursday evening showed what Broome described as "another snowy night in Denver."
Snow batters Denver as Winter Weather Advisory remains in place
A Winter Weather Advisory was in place for the Denver metropolitan area, in Colorado, until 8 a.m. MT on Friday after the area was battered by snow the day before.
Commuters faced major disruptions Friday morning as the heavy snowfall blanketed the region. Hazardous conditions were seen on interstates 70 and 25 where Winter Storm Warnings remained in effect for portions of Jefferson and Douglas counties. Winter Weather Advisories extended from Boulder down to Pikes Peak and across parts of the eastern Plains.
Westbound I-70 was covered in snow in Golden, Colorado, on Friday morning. (Colorado Department of Transportation)
Flight delays were also reported at Denver International Airport, where deicing operations were expected to cause further delays.
Before sunrise, the city's downtown skyline vanished in the whiteout, with buildings barely visible through the 20-degree chill.
A snowy Denver skyline could be seen Friday morning. (WeatherVision)
The NWS said the heaviest snowfall has been concentrated in areas south of Denver over Monument Hill and I-70 west to the Georgetown area.
Areas like Conifer have reported over 17 inches of fresh snow in the past 24 hours. Evergreen and Aspen Park saw 13.5 inches, with forecast snow totals reaching 20-22 inches in some areas of Jefferson and Douglas counties.
A look at the top Colorado snow totals the past 24 hours. (FOX Weather)
Sgt. Ian Davis with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office took to social media about 1 a.m. Friday, issuing a stark warning to motorists on the severity of the weather.
"It's snowing. Seriously, a lot with no signs of letting up," he said. "Plows are working all over the county. Roads are snow and icy, and we're on accident alert. So if you don't need to go, just stay home, drink some cocoa. Watch a movie. Build a puzzle."
The FOX Forecast Center said the snow will gradually come to an end by mid-morning. However, snow-covered roads from the I-70 mountain corridor across the southern foothills and along the I-25 Corridor from Denver southward to the Palmer Divide would still be an issue throughout the day.
A look at the I-25 forecast from Colorado to Wyoming. (FOX Weather)
The Colorado Department of Transportation also scheduled traffic holds Friday morning on I-70 and U.S. Highway 6 near the Eisenhower tunnels for winter operations and snow removal, with expected delays of 20 minutes.