Strong gusts Wednesday delayed flights arriving in Denver for part of the day, downed power lines and trees, and fueled two wildland fires in Boulder County. Xcel Energy Inc. reported about 33,000 customers mostly in the west Denver area lost power, and it could be Friday or possibly the weekend before all power is restored. Colorado Springs also was dealing with downed trees and power lines. Colorado Springs Utilities said about 1,100 customers lost power Wednesday night. For part of Wednesday day, flights arriving at Denver International Airport could only approach from the west as winds gusted up to 40 mph. That delayed arrivals an average of 1 1/2 hours before the wind shifted, allowing the airport to use all of its runways for takeoffs and landings.
For part of Wednesday day, flights arriving at Denver International Airport could only approach from the west as winds gusted up to 40 mph. That delayed arrivals an average of 1 1/2 hours before the wind shifted, allowing the airport to use all of its runways for takeoffs and landings. A gust of 88 mph was recorded near Boulder, where crews were repairing downed power poles and lines, and a tree fell on a parked car. Two Boulder County fires prompted warnings to residents. Both fires were contained by Wednesday night, but residents near one of the fires east of Lyons were told it could be hours before crews determined it was safe for them to go home. The warm winds drove temperatures into the 60s around Colorado Springs, but in the northern mountains, the National Weather Service predicted up to 30 inches of snow before the storm ends Thursday. - Weather Channel.
WATCH: Winds wreck havoc in Colorado.In Colorado, Transportation Department spokeswoman Stacey Stegman said the storm came in very hard Thursday morning, making it difficult for snowplows to keep up. "This is a heavy, wet snow that will pack quickly making the roads very slick. Some areas are worse than others, but it appears the south and west parts of the metro area have more difficult driving conditions," Stegman said in a statement. Stegman said there are numerous highway closures. They included I-70 eastbound near Denver, U.S. Highway 6 over Loveland Pass and U.S. Highway 40 over Berthoud Pass in the central Colorado mountains. The biggest closure blocked the I-70 west mountain corridor, closed west of Denver and near Vail. Stegman said the I-70 closure could be lengthy because wind and snow has increased the avalanche risk.
Officials at Denver International Airport said no major cancellations were expected on Thursday after strong winds limited flights to only westbound arrivals on Wednesday. Those winds clocked at nearly 90 mph downed power lines and trees, and fueled two wildland fires in Boulder County. A gust of 88 mph was recorded near Boulder, where crews were repairing downed power poles and lines. A tree fell on a parked car. Two Boulder County fires prompted warnings to residents. Both fires were contained by Wednesday night, but residents near one of the fires east of Lyons were told it could be hours before crews determined it was safe for them to go home. In the northern mountains, the National Weather Service predicted up to 30 inches of snow before the storm ends Thursday. In Wyoming, the Tetons got about 3 feet of snow from the storm. Preliminary snow totals from the weather service show 33 inches fell in parts of the Tetons by Wednesday night, while Triple Peak in Sublette County got 22 inches. The weather service says wind gusts reached 140 mph on Mount Coffin in Lincoln County. - USA Today.