Forecasters cancel winter weather advisory for Springs

The National Weather Service canceled a winter weather advisory for Colorado Springs today, but it extended the winter storm warning for higher elevations in Teller and northern El Paso County until 9 p.m.

The forecast for today called for sun and highs from 36 to 41 degrees.

The storm that brought the biggest October snowfall in Colorado since 1997 forced the closure of hundreds of schools and businesses across the state, the cancellation of hundreds of flights at Denver International Airport and the closure of long stretches of Interstate 70 east of Denver and I-25 in Wyoming. DIA received at least 16 inches of snow with 5-foot snow drifts, the weather service said.

“Big storms like these, they seem to come around every 10 to 12 years,” said Kyle Fredin, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

Many flights at the Colorado Springs Airport were delayed or canceled, not because of weather conditions in Colorado Springs but in other parts of the country.

Those flying out of the Springs or picking up incoming passengers should call their airline before going to the airport, airport spokesman John McGinley said.

While Colorado Springs saw little snow, Florissant reported 23 inches of snow by Thursday morning. Woodland Park saw 15 inches. Monument had between 18 and 19 inches of snow, according to the weather service.

El Paso County deployed 32 plow trucks and 26 graders early Thursday. They spread salt and sand on curves and hills on the main roads, but blowing snow made their work difficult.

The University of Colorado in Boulder and Colorado State University in Fort Collins, where 17.5 inches fell, reopened.

The weather didn’t deter people from the prospect of free chicken. More than 100 camped overnight Thursday at a Chick-fil-A in Fort Collins  for a chance to win a year’s worth of meals.

UPDATES:

5:44 p.m. The latest weather service advisory warns of blowing and drifting snow. See the advisory here.

5 p.m. Highway 24 is closed from Calhan through Limon due to the weather.

4:50 p.m. Many flights at the Colorado Springs Airport have been delayed or canceled, not due to weather conditions in Colorado Springs but in other parts of the country. There is a storm system moving through parts of Texas and another in Minneapolis and there is low visibility at Denver International Airport, Springs airport spokesman John McGinley said.

Anyone flying out of the Springs airport or picking up an incoming passenger is advised to call their airline before coming to the airport, McGinley said.

3:55 p.m. The Woodland Park area was hit with the brunt of the storm overnight, with Florissant reporting 22 inches of snow this morning. Woodland Park saw between 11 to 13 inches of snow and is currently seeing light snow flurries off and on.

3:40 p.m. Traffic is moving through blowing snow over Monument Hill, which has patches of ice caused by the high winds, an officer at the Port of Entry station there reported.Visibility through Monument is about a quarter of a mile, he said.

3:36 p.m. Wind in the Black Forest and Monument areas continues to cause hazardous driving conditions as rush hour approaches.

Wind speeds of 15 to 30 mph prompted the National Weather Service in Pueblo to keep the winter storm warning in effect until 9 p.m. for the Palmer Divide area, said meteorologist Randy Gray.

The NWS has had reports of a storm total of  16 inches of snow in Monument; 8 inches had fallen in Black Forest as of early this morning. The Colorado Springs Airport reported an inch of snow.

Friday’s forecast calls for sun and a high of 36 to 41 degrees.

3:30 p.m. The National Weather Service has canceled the winter weather advisory for Colorado Springs and southern El Paso County for elevations below 7,400 feet. "Some lingering light snow showers will continue through the evening hours, though any additional accumulations will be spotty and generally less than 1 inch," the weather service said. It extended the winter storm warning for higher elevations until 9 p.m. See the advisory here.

2 p.m. From The Associated Press: Frontier Airlines said it canceled 19 flights in and out of Denver International Airport on Thursday because the airport has been unable to keep enough runways and taxiways open. The airline also said some flights have delayed by as much as four hours. United Airlines, the dominant carrier at DIA, canceled about half of its flights. Spokesman Charlie Hobart said the move keeps delays and cancelations from spilling over into the next day.

Airport spokesman Chuck Cannon says DIA crews are keeping up with snow removal.Two east-west runways are closed and the remaining four are open.

11 a.m. The Colorado Department of Transportation says Interstate 70 between Air Park and Limon is closed because of poor visibility.

10:40 a.m. From The Associated Press: The storm created headaches for airport travelers in Denver as airlines canceled hundreds of flights because of drifting snow and high winds. Up to a foot of snow was expected at Denver International Airport by Thursday afternoon. Two runways were closed.

Denver-based Frontier Airlines said it canceled 19 flights in and out of Denver because the airport had been unable to keep enough runways and taxiways open. The airline also said some flights were delayed by up to four hours.

"We're at the mercy of airport conditions at DIA this morning and hope they can recover sufficiently to help us avoid further flight cancellations today," Frontier said in a statement on its Web site.

Airport spokesman Chuck Cannon said airport crews were keeping up with snow removal and the airport was up to 64 arrivals per hour by midmorning. That's about double the number from hours earlier, he said.

10:30 a.m. Phone lines in Chipita Park and Cascade areas are inoperable warns the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Cell phone service should still be available. Residents who have an emergency should go to their nearest fire station for assistance.

10:03 a.m. Latest advisory from the National Weather Service: Winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 p.m. for Teller and northern El Paso counties and Pikes Peak. Snow will continue through today. Additional accumulations of 2 to 4 inches will be possible. Gusty north to northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph will cause considerable blowing and drifting snow. Total snowfall amounts of 8 to 14 inches can be expected over northern El Paso County. See the full advisory here.

9:40 a.m. From The Associated Press: United Airlines, the dominant carrier at Denver International Airport with about 400 flights per day, canceled about half its flights, which is standard during such weather conditions, said spokesman Charlie Hobart. He said the move keeps delays and cancellations from spilling over into the next day.

"We're doing everything we can to accommodate the travelers and we're also asking them to check online for their flights," for cancellations, he said.

Denver-based Frontier Airlines canceled about 10 flights Thursday morning, said spokeswoman Lindsey Purves, and some flights have been delayed up to three hours.

8:42 a.m. Here are the snow predictions for the day around the county from the National Weather Service:

• Black Forest: Accumulation of 3-7 inches possible, high temperature of 20 degrees predicted. Tonight: 40 percent chance of snow, low of 9 degrees predicted.  
• Calhan: Accumulation of 2-4 inches possible, high temperature of 25 degrees predicted. Tonight: 40 percent chance of snow, low of 12 degrees predicted.
• Colorado Springs: Accumulation of 2-4 inches possible, high temperature of 25 degrees predicted.Tonight: 30 percent chance of snow, low of 10 degrees predicted
• Ellicot: Accumulation of 2-4 inches possible, high temperature of 27 degrees predicted.Tonight: 40 percent chance of snow, low of 17 degrees predicted.
• Falcon: Accumulation of 2-4 inches possible, high temperature of 25 degrees predicted.Tonight: 40 percent chance of snow, low of 11 degrees predicted.
• Fountain: Accumulation 1-3 inches possible, high temperature of 33 degrees predicted. Tonight: 30 percent chance of snow, low of 18 degrees predicted
• Manitou Springs: Accumulation of 2-4 inches possible, high temperature of 23 degrees predicted.Tonight: 30 percent chance of snow, low of 3 degrees predicted.
• Monument: Accumulation of 3-5 inches possible, high temperature of 23 degrees predicted. Tonight: 40 percent chance of snow, low of 1 degree predicted

8:34 a.m. Plows from the El Paso County Division of Transportation are reporting that blowing snow is a bigger challenge for them than the new falling snow. The division reports that 32 plow trucks and 26 graders are currently working on snow removal throughout the county. They are spreading salt and sand to curves and hills on the main roads but icy and snowpacked conditions are still widespread they report.

The worst areas are near Monument and Black Forest and southwest El Paso County, including the Chipeta Park-Ute Pass area and the area north of Peyton.

8:20 a.m. From The Associated Press: It was the biggest October snowmaker in the Denver area since 1997, said Byron Louis, a National Weather Service hydrologist in Boulder. Denver International Airport warned of more delays, saying it would see a foot of snow by this afternoon.

8 a.m. The Outlets at Castle Rock are closed today. Fort Carson, Peterson Air Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station and the Air Force Academy are all on two-hour delays.

7:30 a.m. Updated road conditions from the Colorado Department of Transportation:

• Highway 83: Colorado Springs to El Paso County Line: Icy, snow-packed
• Interstate 25: Monument Hill to Castle Rock: Icy, snow-packed
• Interstate 25: Colorado Springs to Monument Hill: Icy spots, slushy, snow
• Interstate 25: Pueblo to Colorado Springs: Icy spots, slushy, snow
• Highway 24: Colorado Springs to Limon: Icy, snow-packed
• Highway 24: Ute Pass to Wilkerson Pass: Icy, snow-packed
• Highway 94: Colorado Springs to Punkin Center: Icy spots, snow
• Highway 67: Cripple Creek to Divide: Icy, snow-packed
• Highway 67: Woodland Park to Deckers: Icy, snow-packed
• Highway 67: Rampart Range to Sedalia: Icy, snow-packed
• Highway 115: Canon City to Colorado Springs: Icy spots, slushy, snow

7 a.m. Icy roads have caused the Colorado Springs Police Department to declare accident-alert status in the city.

If drivers are involved in a crash without injuries or alcohol or drugs suspected, they should exchange information and file a police report within 72 hours. They can file a report at any of the police substations or can go online at www.springsgov.com and go the police department home page.

6:44 a.m. Add Calhan and Peyton school district 23 to those deciding to close their doors today.

6:30 a.m. The El Paso County Division of Transportation reports: Typical accumulations of about 8 inches of snow on along the Palmer Divide with some drifting reported especially along east-west roadways.  Fifteen county plow trucks are currently working in the Monument and Black Forest areas. Ten plow trucks are working in the southwest portion of the county including the Chipeta Park area. Seven trucks are working in the area generally north of Peyton.

 6 a.m. Among today's school closures: Districts 14, 20, 38 and 49. Peyton and Hanover districts announced a two-hour delay. Click here to see the full list of closures and delays in the region.

5:12 a.m. National Weather Service issues its latest advisory. The winter storm warning remains in effect until 6 p.m. for Teller County and northern El Paso County and Pikes Peak. "Snow will continue through today. Additional accumulations of 3 to 5 inches will be possible. Gusty north to northeast winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph will cause considerable blowing and drifting snow. Total snowfall amounts of 6 to 13 inches can be expected over northern El Paso County, with 8 to 15 inches over most of Teller County. However, the northeast-facing slopes of Pikes Peak and the Rampart Range above 10,000 feet could see snow amounts up to 20 inches."