Spring Snowstorm Slams The Front Range
DENVER (CBS4) - Snow started falling hard in Fort Collins early Monday morning and then it moved into Denver and much of the Front Range in the afternoon.
As the temperature dropped conditions were icier during the Monday evening commute.
In Fort Collins people awoke to snow and slush covered roads. Interstate 25 was closed for a while near the Wyoming border. Many businesses and schools closed early. That included the Colorado State University campus in Fort Collins and University of Colorado campus in Boulder.
The Poudre School District decided to cut classes early for high schoolers. The elementary and middle school had no classes at all. Students were thrilled with their impromptu snow day.
"Everyone just went, 'Yeah!' Everyone just went nuts," a high school student said.
"I was thinking they should have had a snow day because we knew the weather was going to be bad," a parent said.
Monday afternoon I-70 had to be closed going west over Vail Pass near Copper Mountain. It was closed around noon and reopened around 5:15 p.m.
An avalanche team was able to go up on Vail Pass during the closure and blast some of the snow off the avalanche-prone areas. The Colorado Department of Transportation said that was their main concern.
Several other mountain passes remained closed Monday evening. Highway 285 on Kenosha Pass was still closed and Loveland and Berthoud passes will be closed overnight.
At Denver International Airport they expect up to four inches of snow to fall overnight. Crews have been de-icing planes and passengers should expect some delays. So far the airport is not reporting any cancellations. It's a good idea to check with the airline before going to the airport.
CDOT crews will remain on full snow shifts along the I-25 and I-70 corridors and all other areas of the Front Range.
The Colorado Rockies postponed their Monday evening game against the New York Mets. The teams will play a split-doubleheader Tuesday. The first game is scheduled to begin at 1:10 p.m. The nightcap is set to start at 6:40 p.m., as previously scheduled, but there is snow in the forecast again for Tuesday.
