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Updates: Winter Storm Outages, Closures In Colorado

Multiple road closures have crippled Colorado's interstate system, with blizzard conditions shutting down large sections of I-25, I-76 and US-287 as a major winter storm officially called a "bomb cyclone" sweeps through Colorado. Wind gusts of 80 mph have been reported at Denver International Airport.

Jared Fiel with the Colorado Department of Transportation says crews on most highways are seeing white-out conditions.

"The number one thing we want to emphasize with people is to please, if you do not need to be out in this, please do not go out in it," Fiel said.

NWS meteorologist Greg Hanson says there's another term for this weather system: "Bombogenesis."

"That's actually is a technical meteorological term we use for a rapidly deepening low-pressure system. So, it characterizes that a storm is intensifying very rapidly. The criteria for that is a 24-millibar drop within 24 hours, and we've hit that with this storm," Hanson said.

Emergency declaration

Gov. Jared Polis has declared an emergency due to the ongoing winter storm. Polis also authorized the activation of the Colorado National Guard for search, rescue and life safety operations, mostly for stranded drivers. An emergency declaration allows affected counties to more easily access additional resources from the state.

Power outages

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, Xcel Energy is reporting about 184,000 customers are without power across the state. Poudre Valley REA reported 134 outages impacting 42,379 customers earlier in the afternoon.

Flight cancellations

About 1,000 flights have been cancelled at Denver International Airport. Dozens more have been delayed or are expected to be cancelled through the rest of the day and Thursday morning.

As of 5:30 p.m., all six runways remain closed, but the airport terminal and concourses are open.

Access to outbound Peña Blvd between the airport and 56th Ave. has been temporarily suspended to provide assistance to motorists and to treat and clear the roadway. Inbound Peña Blvd. remains open, but has been frequently blocked due to accidents.

Emergency shelters

The Red Cross says warming shelters have started opening in Colorado and Wyoming. They include Emanuel Baptist Church in Fort Morgan, the Leeper Center in Wellington and the Storey Gym in Cheyenne.

The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has put together a map of open shelters, warming centers and emergency operations here.

Major road closures

CDOT is urging people to stay off the highways, citing vehicle spin-outs and crashes as the key cause of closures. Major areas shut down as of 2 p.m. are:

  • I-70 and major roads in the Eastern Plains
  • I-25 Monument Hill from Ridgegate to Monument
  • All high mountain passes in southwestern Colorado
  • Various closures on the I-70 Mountain Corridor
  • Various road closures in Colorado Springs

For the latest closure details and travel advisories, check CDOT's Twitter accountor visit cotrip.org.

Last updated March 13, 2019 at 5:42 p.m.

Tree damage in Denver during the severe winter storm on March 13, 2019.
Scott Franz / KUNC
/
KUNC
Tree damage in Denver during the severe winter storm on March 13, 2019.
Eric Rice clears a path to his front door in south Denver.
Scott Franz / KUNC
/
KUNC
Eric Rice clears a path to his front door in south Denver.
Snow covers a residential street in Fort Collins.
Esther Honig / KUNC
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KUNC
Snow covers a residential street in Fort Collins.
Traffic moving slowly on Hwy 34 in west Greeley the morning of March 13, 2019.
Catherine Welch / KUNC
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KUNC
Traffic moving slowly on Hwy 34 in west Greeley the morning of March 13, 2019.
Snow falls in Fort Collins the morning of March 13, 2019.
Jackie Hai / KUNC
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KUNC
Snow falls in Fort Collins the morning of March 13, 2019.
Shoppers brave the snow Wednesday morning in Loveland.
Matt Bloom / KUNC
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KUNC
Shoppers brave the snow Wednesday morning in Loveland.
A backyard in Fort Collins.
Stacy Nick / KUNC
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KUNC
A backyard in Fort Collins.
Snow in Old Town Fort Collins.
Luke Runyon / KUNC
/
KUNC
Snow in Old Town Fort Collins.
A chair offers advice for the storm in Old Town Fort Collins.
Luke Runyon / KUNC
/
KUNC
A chair offers advice for the storm in Old Town Fort Collins.
Snow and ice on a residential street in Longmont.
Rae Ellen Bichel / KUNC
/
KUNC
Snow and ice on a residential street in Longmont.
A snow-covered scooter in Denver.
Scott Franz / KUNC
/
KUNC
A snow-covered scooter in Denver.

Copyright 2019 KUNC

KUNC Staff