| Fort Collins Coloradoan
Fort Collins starts digging in the middle of a big snowstorm
The snowstorm started on Saturday and is expected to last until Sunday, falling about 2 feet of snow.
Miles Blumhardt, Fort Collins Coloradoan
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Those who called this weekend’s snowstorm an explosion on Saturday were forced to rethink their position on Sunday.
After a slow start to the long-awaited storm, the low pressure that fueled the storm approached the southeastern corner of Colorado on Sunday, bringing with it heavy snow that closed major highways, broke tree branches and created blizzard conditions in Front Range north.
After more than 11 inches of snow fell overnight at Fort Collins, and more in some places, the National Weather Service ordered 15 to 20 inches of additional snow on Sunday for much of the Interstate 25 corridor to the north, which closed between Wellington and the Colorado- Wyoming border.
Wet, heavy snow and rising winds forced other roads to close, including US 287 from Ted’s Place to the Colorado-Wyoming state line, US 85 from Nunn to the state line and Colorado 14 from Ault to Sterling.
Colorado National Guard troops were deployed near Wellington to help rescue drivers trapped by the storm.
Central snowstorm: A summary of forecast updates, preparation information and more
A winter storm alert remains in effect until 6am on Monday.
Poudre Valley REA restored electricity to more than 3,000 customers on Sunday, but 4,300 remain without power as dusk approaches in their service area. The rural electricity supplier said via Twitter that “almost white” conditions and treacherous roads made the energy restoration work arduous on Sunday.
Fort Collins Utilities showed only a handful of outages at 5:45 pm on Sunday, while Xcel Energy showed about 60 outages in the Fort Collins and Wellington areas.
The latest National Weather Service snow totals from the weekend storm show 17 inches of snow at Fort Collins, 18 in Loveland, 17.4 in Timnath, 22 in Estes Park and 27 on Horsetooth Mountain.
These totals are Sunday morning, so a little more snow on Sunday afternoon is likely to increase the numbers.
Here is a list of closures in Larimer County. The list will be updated with the main closures:
- The Weld RE-4 school district (Windsor and Severance) will be closed on Monday.
- Front Range Community College campuses will be closed on Monday. Remote classes will take place as planned.
- The Larimer County government, the district attorney’s office and the courts will be closed on Monday. Essential services will not be interrupted.
- The Colorado state government offices in Denver and neighboring suburban counties will open to the public at 10am on Monday.
- The runways at Denver International Airport are likely to be closed until 6pm on Sunday.
Small avalanches were reported on Colorado 14 Highway, west of Rustic, according to a Twitter post from Larimer’s Emergency Telephone Authority. The road is closed from Ted’s Place to the county border to the west. Area residents should be careful.
Across the county, many residents stayed close to home and began the hard work of digging a path from their homes to the outside world.
“I just cleaned a little strip right here and my back is already feeling,” said Kelly Steele, a resident of Windsor, as she started cleaning snow from her garage. Steele said that although he expected snow to go around the area after Saturday, he was grateful for the precipitation it brought to the drought-affected area.
But when residents reached the end of their sidewalks, roads full of snow, falling snow and fallen tree branches made progress even more treacherous.
Power lines felled by trees broken by snow caused disruptions at Fort Collins and Wellington. Fort Collins Utilities, Xcel Energy and Poudre Valley REA reported sporadic outages in their service areas on Sunday morning.
Across the Poudre Valley REA service area, some 7,200 customers were left without power during some parts of Sunday.
“The posts are lowered, the crossed arms are broken and there is substantial damage to the trees. Accessibility is limited in adverse conditions. The crews are restoring energy in the safest and fastest way possible,” PVREA posted on Twitter.
Colorado Department of Transportation officials said on Sunday that anyone trying to return from the mountains to Front Range would find the trip “extremely challenging” and advised drivers to postpone the trip until Monday, when conditions are expected to improve.
Power outages: How to track and report power outages during the Fort Collins snowstorm
“We ask drivers not to let their guard down; today’s conditions are worse than yesterday, ”said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew in a press release.
The arrival of spring break has limited snow impacts on schools in the area, as the school districts of Poudre and Thompson are on vacation this week. Weld RE-4 schools in Windsor and Severance canceled classes and activities scheduled for Monday.
Colorado State University officials said they would make a decision about Monday’s classes and campus operations by 5:30 am on Monday.
– Miles Blumhardt and Eric Larsen
A blizzard warning is in effect in Larimer and northwest Weld County, including Fort Collins, Loveland, Wellington, Greeley and Windsor.
Emergency workers from Larimer County sent 911 reverse calls and text messages to residents shortly after noon on Sunday. The notice is in effect until midnight.
Additional 2 to 6 inch snow accumulation with 14 to 24 inch storm totals is expected over Sunday, according to the warning. Wind gusts can reach 45 mph.
Most: ‘Do not travel’: Blizzard warning issued to Larimer, Weld counties
– Jennifer Hefty
According to Fort Collins Utilities, some residents are seeing intermittent power surges across the city.
“Strong winds can impact the transmission lines and create flashing lights and brief power outages. Most of the time, there is no need to report flashing lights unless the power remains off for more than a few minutes,” according to the city website.
In the entire Poudre Valley REA service area, about 7,200 are without power.
“The posts are down, broken crossings and substantial damage to the trees. Accessibility is limited in adverse conditions. The crews are restoring power in the safest and fastest way possible,” tweeted PVREA.
The city of Loveland said that several power outages were reported on Sunday. Three teams have been deployed and are working to restore power, according to a post on the city’s Twitter. Residents may also experience problems with telephone and TV service due to tree branches hitting service lines.
Rocky Mountains National Park expands closed roads
Rocky Mountain National Park officials closed US Highway 34 at its western entrance to Grand Lake on Sunday morning due to worsening weather conditions. US 34 and 36 have already been closed on the east side of the park due to the previous winter weather, and routes are likely to be closed for several days due to snow and poor visibility.
Colorado Department of Transportation officials said anyone who tries to return from the mountains to Front Range will find the trips “extremely challenging” on Sunday and advised drivers to postpone the trip until Monday, when conditions are expected to improve.
“We ask drivers not to let their guard down; today’s conditions are worse than yesterday, ”said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew in a press release.
Drivers are advised not to look for alternative routes along major road blocks, as less busy roads are likely to be covered with slippery or floating snow.
CDOT said it is likely to close sections of the Interstate 70 mountain corridor and the I-25 South Gap construction zone between Castle Rock and Monument, depending on the severity of the storm, along with I-70 east of Airpark Road and other Eastern Plains highways.
Plows are active along I-25 and I-70. Drivers are cautioned to avoid overtaking plows and giving them ample distance to work.
– Eric Larsen
Heavy snow accumulation is damaging trees throughout the Fort Collins area as snow is accumulating on the branches and testing its resistance. The National Weather Service in Boulder posted people on Twitwarning to look for fallen branches and falling branches.
– Eric Larsen
Here is an initial overview of snow totals through early Sunday morning from the National Weather Service and the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network:
Wellington: 14 inches
Loveland: 12-15 inches
Estes Park: 14 inches
Campion: 13.5 inches
Berthoud: 12 inches
Fort Collins: 11-15 inches
DIA: 11 inches
Longmont: 10 inches
Stone: 9 inches
Denver: 6 inches
Allenspark: 12 inches
Netherlands: 14.5 inches
Ward: 20.5 inches
Jamestown: 11 inches
Conifer: 10 inches
Tabernash: 17.5 inches
Colorado Springs: 5 inches
Crested Butte: 44.5 inches
This developing story will be updated throughout Sunday.
Reporter Miles Blumhardt looks for stories that impact his life. Be it news, outdoor activities, sports – you choose, he wants to report. Do you have an idea for a story? Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter @MilesBlumhardt. Support your work and that of other Colorado journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.