LIVE UPDATES: Flights canceled at DIA, I-25 northbound lane closures, coldest on record since 1990
Editor’s note: We’re tracking developments as an arctic mass moves across the U.S., plunging communities into dangerously sub-zero conditions.
7:00 p.m.: Two northbound I-25 lanes close in Castle Rock, latest snow totals
Two right lanes on I-25 between Wilcox Street and Meadows Parkway closed due to a crash just before 7 p.m.
The previous lane closure on I-70 in Aurora has since reopened.
Here are some of the latest snow totals across Colorado, according to the National Weather Service:
- Eldora- 13 inches
- Longs Peak and Mount Audubon 11.6
- Arapahoe Peak- 10.2 inches
- Meeker Park- 10.2 inches
- Sunshine- 9.4 inches
- Winter Park- 8 inches
- West Boulder- 7.4 inches
- Loveland Pass- 7 inches
- Lafayette- 6.8 inches
- Westminster- 6 inches
- Berthoud Pass- 5.8 inches
- Northglenn- 5.8 inches
- Grand Lake- 5.8 inches
- Erie- 5.5 inches
- Superior- 5.5 inches
- Louisville- 5.5 inches
- Arvada- 5.5 inches
- Jamestown- 5 inches
- Longmont- 4.8 inches
- Commerce City- 4.8 inches
- East Denver- 4 inches
- Keystone- 4 inches
- Castle Rock- 3.7 inches
- Colorado Springs, Air Force Academy- 3.4 inches
- Woodland Park- 3 inches
- Monument- 2.8 inches
- Highlands Ranch- 2.7
- Black Forest- 2.5 inches
- Manitou Springs- 2.5 inches
4:00 p.m.: Lane on I-70 westbound closes in Aurora due to crash
The right lane on Interstate 70 closed just after 4 p.m. due to a crash, according to CDOT. The closure is between Exit 288: US 40; Colfax Avenue and Exit 286: Tower Road. A detour onto Colfax is available to drivers.
2:10 p.m.: Temperatures near foothills climbed out from double-digit lows
Temperatures at the NREL Flatiron campus are climbed to -6.5 around 2 p.m. Wind chills are below -20 as the peak sunshine of the day has been reached.
1:00 p.m.: Some vehicles on I-70 eastbound passing through in Summit County, officially still closed
Vehicles traveling eastbound on Interstate 70 are beginning to inch passed multiple semi-trucks however the interstate is officially still closed.
12:30 p.m.: Traffic injuries, but no fatalities, reported to Colorado State Patrol
A Colorado State Patrol spokesperson said there have been crashes resulting in property damage and injury due to bad roads Thursday morning, but no fatalities have been reported to CSP.
“Most (crash) causes were going too fast for road conditions and following too closely by not giving enough space to give your vehicle time to stop,” the spokesperson said.
11:45 a.m.: Several northeastern Colorado highways still remain closed
CO-14 from Ault to Sterling. CO-61 between Sterling and Otis, CO-59 between County Road 2 near Haxtun and Wilson Street and I-76, US-6 between Sterling and County Road 1 near Haxtun, and US-385 between CO-23 and County Road 32 in Julesberg. Expect continued delays on all these highways due to adverse driving conditions and poor visibility.
11:00 a.m.: Snow totals from up and down the Front Range
• Eldora – 13 inches
• Mount Audubon – 11.6 inches
• Longs Peak – 11.6 inches
• Boulder – 9 inches
• Winter Park – 8 inches
• Arvada – 7.2 inches
• Louisville – 7 inches
• Broomfield – 6.3 inches
• Westminster – 6.1 inches
• Longmont – 6 inches
• Vail – 5.2 inches
• Frisco – 5.2 inches
• Genesee – 5 inches
• Brighton – 4.5 inches
• Aurora – 4.5 inches
• Greeley – 4.5 inches
• Evergreen – 4.1 inches
• Wheat Ridge – 4 inches
• Keystone – 4 inches
• Breckenridge – 4 inches
• Golden – 4 inches
• Air Force Academy – 3.4 inches
• Conifer – 3.3 inches
• Fort Collins – 2.9 inches
• Penrose – 2.5 inches
• Black Forest – 2.5 inches
• Holyoke – 1.6 inches
• Hugo – 1.2 inches
9:30 a.m.: Highway closure updates
CO 113 both ways has been reopened to traffic between US 138 and the Nebraska border. I-70 between Limon and Burlington has reopened to traffic, but I-70 eastbound from Silverthorne to the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels is still closed.
9:00 a.m.: Record LOW matched this morning
The temperature in Denver dropped to 25 degrees below zero Fahrenheit early Thursday, which is the coldest official temperature in Denver since Dec. 22, 1990, exactly 32 years ago.
The frigid observation was recorded at the city’s official weather station at Denver International Airport (DIA).
8:22 a.m.: 280 flights canceled, Denver International Airport on full snow operations
Flightaware.com is reporting 280 flights cancelled at DIA in the last 24 hours. An airport spokesperson said full snow operations are active. All parking lots are at capacity, so airport officials urged travelers to go straight to economy and grab a shuttle. They should also arrive at least two hours before departure time and check flight status before heading out at flydenver.com.
8:15 a.m.: WATCH: 9News Science Expert, Steve Spangler, demonstrates what happens to hot water when it is sprayed into sub-zero air.
8:05 a.m.: Temperatures toying with -20
Temperatures at the NREL Flatiron campus are hovering near -20 as of 8 a.m. Wind chills are below -30 even after sunrise. Chris Bianchi, a meteorologist for 9News, said today’s cold snap is the coldest since Dec. 22, 1990, has tied for 8th-coldest temperature on record in Denver and has swung 75 degrees in 18 hours.
7:45 a.m.: Here are the highway closures
The Colorado Department of Transportation posted a list of highway closures on its Twitter account this morning. They include I-70 eastbound at Silverthorne following a semi-truck spinning; I-70 in both directions between Limon and Burlington; and, US 6 in both directions in Loveland Pass.
7:30 a.m.: Watch your gas consumption, Xcel tells customers
Xcel Energy warned its customers last night of increases in the wholesale price of natural gas over the next few days, which could mean a significant hike in energy bills.
“This wholesale natural gas cost is passed directly to our customers without markup,” the company said. “With the increased cost of natural gas, you may want to consider reducing your use of natural gas over the next couple of days as a way to control your energy bill.”
The company added: “The biggest step you can take to conserve is by lowering your thermostat a few degrees if you have a natural gas furnace.”
6:10 a.m.: Temperatures drop before sunrise, extreme wind chills persist, new roads closed
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Flatirons Campus recorded temperatures dropping to -15.5 degrees Fahrenheit shortly after 6 a.m. with a wind chill of -15.5 degrees just south of Boulder.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder shows extreme wind chills between -25 and -60 for the I-25 urban corridor and north eastern plains will occur from 6 a.m. Thursday until 6 a.m. Friday. Significant wind chills between -15 and -45 for locations in the foothills, mountains and mountain valleys will occur from 6 a.m. Thursday until 6 p.m. Friday.
US-385 closed between CO 23 (Holyoke) and County Road 32 (Julesburg) from Mile Point 279.9 to Mile Point 309. Road closed expect delays due to safety concerns, according to the Department of Transportation.
US-287 closed between CO 14 and County Road 72 (8 miles north of Laporte) at Mile Point 363. Road closed expect delays due to a stalled vehicle. There is alternating traffic.
CO-59 closed between Centennial Road (near Yuma) and County Road 2 (14 miles south of Haxtun) from Mile Point 108 to Mile Point 133.6. Road closed expect delays due to safety concerns.
CO-113 closed between US 138 and the Nebraska Border (Peetz) from Mile Point 0.1 to Mile Point 18.83. Road closed expect delays due to safety concerns.
10:50 p.m.: Mountain town gets 7 inches of snow
As snow continues to accumulate, cities north of Denver are getting 1 to 7 inches, according to the National Weather Service in Boulder. Here are the latest snow totals:
- Nederland- 7 inches
- Jamestown- 5.8 inches
- Boulder 5 inches
- Louisville- 4.7 inches
- Northglenn- 3.7 inches
9:40 p.m.: Temperatures continue to drop
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Flatirons Campus recorded temperatures dropping to -10.2 degrees Fahrenheit before 10 p.m. with a wind chill of -19.6 degrees just south of Boulder.
8:50 p.m.: Major road closures in northern Colorado
CO-14 westbound between County Road 33 (Ault) N 10th Avenue (Sterling) is closed in both directions due to safety concerns and adverse conditions, according to the Department of Transportation.
US-85 northbound between Count Road 80 (Ault) and the Wyoming boarder is also closed in both directions. Drivers should expect delays and low to no visibility is possible.
US-287 northbound is closed in both directions between CO 14 and the Wyoming boarder due to safety concerns.
7:50 p.m.: Over 600 flights delayed at DIA
Denver International Airport has delayed 650 flights, according to FlightAware. Over 40% of the delayed flights are from Southwest Airlines and 30% are from SkyWest. FlightAware also reports that 153 flights have been canceled.
5:45 p.m.: Temperature plunges into single digits
The temperature in metro Denver plunged to single digits shortly after sunset on Wednesday, the start of what meteorologists warned is a dangerous chill that is expected to engulf Colorado and march its way across America tonight.
The NCAR Mesa Laboratory based in Boulder said the temperature dropped from a high of 43.7 degrees Fahrenheit after noon to 0.5 degrees by 5:40 p.m.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Flatirons Campus recorded a similar drop, crossing into sub-zero territory shortly before 6 p.m.
The National Weather Services puts the temperature at Denver International Airport at 5 degrees.
Elsewhere in the state, conditions are becoming dangerous.
Michael Charnick, a meteorologist, posted a video of what he described was -30 to -40 wind chills on I-25 between Wellington, Colorado and Cheyenne, Wyoming. The “blinding whiteout” caused a standstill in the interstate, he tweeted out.
Here’s the latest:
City and county governments, schools and other Denver facilities will close on Thursday, as the arctic air brings dangerously low temperatures to the state.
Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday activated more than 100 Colorado National Guard members to support weather-related operations.
Travelers face a double whammy at DIA, as the holiday travel picks up and frigid temperatures descend. Public Information Officer Stephanie Figueroa advised folks to arrive at the airport two hours ahead of a scheduled flight to lessen the stress and to expect slight delays due to deicing. According to FlightAware, 619 flights have been delayed at DIA and 152 have been canceled.
