I-70 reopens in Colorado after 4 feet of snow in mountains
Another mid-March snowstorm dumped feet of snow in Colorado. The highway patrol warned people not to travel but one resident says, "It's what Colorado is all about."
Massive amounts of snow in just a day led to road closures and major problems across parts of Colorado on March 14.
Portions of Interstate 70 were reopened late Thursday after being closed since the morning due to safety concerns during a snowstorm that dropped over four feet of snow in the mountains of Colorado.
"If you have to ask 'How do I get there?', the answer is, you can't," the Colorado State Patrol had warned Thursday morning on X.
Where the roads weren't closed, accidents abounded. Thursday morning, Denver Police and C-DOT Crews worked together to free a wrecked vehicle from the snow after it crashed into the concrete barrier on I-25 at Centennial.
Nederland, Colorado, reported 53 inches of snow -- over four feet -- from the storm. Most of the Denver Metro area had received 6 to 12 inches of snow by noon, while the airport recorded 5.7 inches, falling short of the biggest snowstorm this season, as 7.5 inches of snow fell on Oct. 28-29, 2023.
Over 800 flights were canceled on Thursday at Denver International Airport. Over 120,000 customers were without power early Thursday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.US, but that number had fallen to 15,000 by Thursday night. Heavy, wet snow took down a power pole and lines in southwest Denver on Thursday morning. Crews worked in the heavy falling snow to get the lines cleaned up and power restored to the area.
This was a classic March snowstorm for Colorado. Four of Denver's top 20 snowstorms have occurred between March 13 and 22 -- and 10 happened in March or April.
Local resident Debb Conn told AccuWeather's Tony Laubach Wednesday evening, "It's not March in Colorado unless we get a big blast of a snowstorm. I love it, I'm here for it, it signifies the end of winter, the beginning of spring, and it's what Colorado is all about."
Snowplow stuck on the side of I-70 in Wheat Ridge, west side of Denver, between Wadsworth and Kipling on March 14, 2024. (Tony Laubach)
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.
Report a Typo
