John Scarffe, Peak to Peak . A major snowstorm in Colorado forced the closures of roads, offices and businesses from March 13 to 15, 2021. According to the National Weather Service, a snowstorm hit Colorado over the weekend and left some Front Range regions with more than three feet of snow. 

Some Boulder County cities recorded nearly two feet of snowfall. The agency issued a blizzard warning Sunday for Denver’s western metro area, Boulder and other Colorado cities. Winds gusted between 30 and 40 miles per hour, weather officials said.

Snowfall totals in Boulder were between eight and 20 inches. Allenspark had 22 inches, Brainard Lake had 13 inches, Jamestown had 17.5 inches and Nederland had 19.5 inches. Downtown Denver got between six and 17.5 inches of snow, and Denver International Airport saw between 11 and 27 inches, according to the National Weather Service. 

Updated snow totals at midday Sunday by National Weather Service spotters showed 36 inches in Boulder Canyon. More than 2,000 flights out of Denver International Airport were canceled over the weekend, and the Colorado National Guard was deployed over the weekend to respond to emergencies during the snowstorm.

Most government buildings were closed Monday, and many schools also announced closures. Boulder County government offices, as well as the 20th Judicial District Courts in Boulder and Longmont, also were closed Monday. Boulder County Commissioners’ public meetings scheduled for Monday will be rescheduled. Other Monday closures include government offices and facilities in Boulder, Erie and Superior.

Closures on Monday, March 15, included the University of Colorado campuses and Gilpin County offices and courts.

On Wednesday, March 10, 2021, the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office announced that the National Weather Service snow predictions for Gilpin County were showing one to three feet of snow from Thursday to Sunday evening. Weather conditions were expected to cause significant inconveniences and may be hazardous. On March 12, the sheriff’s office said that Gilpin County is under a winter storm warning until late Sunday evening. 

Snow accumulations could total four feet. Gilpin Sheriff’s Office had been working with all the County departments and partnering first responder agencies to ensure they were prepared with heightened response to this upcoming winter storm. On March 12, the office announced that Gilpin County expected two to four feet of snow, and asked everyone to please stay home. 

The sheriff’s office continued to send out announcements about road closures and safety tips. 

On Sunday, March 14, the Colorado Department of Transportation announced that motorists should keep a close watch on the weather and road conditions and plan to stay off the roads during the storm. Return travel from the mountains into Denver would be extremely challenging on Sunday for those who visited the high country. 

Motorists should make arrangements to postpone travel until Monday when the storm has passed and conditions improve.  “While the storm took some time to pick up yesterday, it is much more intense today, and just as it arrived a little later than anticipated, it will be with us for longer than originally expected,” said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew.

Many road closures were in place and more closures were expected as the storm intensified through the day Sunday and into the night. Motorists should check COtrip.org for up-to-date conditions and closure information. Heavy accumulations of snow, snow packed and icy roads, and low visibility continued well into the evening along I-70, I-25 and other highway corridors in the foothills and the Front Range. 

Motorists were encouraged not to seek alternate routes to circumvent road closures, but rather stay put or turn back and find a safe place to wait out the storm. If a highway safety closure is in place, that means the alternate routes could be impassable.  

Several other roads throughout the state remained closed, many east and north of Denver. According to COtrip.org, US 34 both directions CR-69 to I-76, US 36 both directions CO 71 - Kansas State Line, and CO-392 both directions from I-25 to US 287.

As on Monday, March 15, I-70 westbound is still closed at Debeque (Exit 62), between Grand Junction and Glenwood Springs, due to a hazardous materials spill. This extended closure has no estimated time of reopening. 

Travelers are urged to “know before you go” by gathering information about weather forecasts and anticipated travel impacts and current road conditions prior to hitting the road. CDOT resources include:

Road conditions and travel information: www.COtrip.org 

Project or travel alerts: bit.ly/COalerts

Scheduled lane closures: codot.gov/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html 

Avalanche conditions - CAIC: www.avalanche.state.co.us/ 

Social media: Twitter @coloradodot and Facebook facebook.com/coloradodot

(Originally published in the March 18, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)