Winter Weather — C & E Adams & Arapahoe Counties, Colorado

2019-01-21 to 2019-01-22 · C & E Adams & Arapahoe Counties, Colorado

Wider weather episode

A winter storm system brought a mix of strong winds with pockets of moderate to heavy snow to the southern Front Range Foothills and Palmer Divide; with blizzard conditions along I-70 east of Aurora. Interstate 70 was closed in the morning through early afternoon on the 22nd, from the exit at Denver International Airport to the Kansas state line. Parts of major highways including I-25 south of Denver toward Monument and Highway 24 were also closed for several hours. Numerous accidents along I-70 were reported due to strong winds and low visibility of a quarter mile or less. Strong northerly winds gusting from 45 to 55 mph were observed. The heaviest snowfall occurred in the southern Front Range Foothills and the Palmer Divide south of Denver. Storm totals in those areas included: 15 inches at Shaffers Crossing; 10 inches in Conifer; 9 inches near Ponderosa Park with 6.5 inches in Brookvale. In addition, 6 inches of snowfall was observed in Agate with 5.5 inches at Castle Pines. Elsewhere, lesser amounts from 1 to 4 inches were reported.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 803129. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.