Winter storm jams Front Range traffic, delays schools Thursday

After a slow start to the season, last night’s snowfall put the metro area back near its average accumulation for this time of year.

Denver East High School playing field floodlights illuminate falling snow and a lone pedestrian on 16th Avenue as a winter storm rolled through Denver Wednesday evening, Feb. 16, 2022.

Denver East High School playing field floodlights illuminate falling snow and a lone pedestrian on 16th Avenue as a winter storm rolled through Denver Wednesday evening, Feb. 16, 2022.

Hart Van Denburg/CPR News
Matt Bloom
Matt Bloom

A winter storm dumped up to 7 inches of snow in communities along the I-25 corridor last night, creating rough driving conditions and delaying school for hundreds of families Thursday morning.

Denver Public Schools, Aurora Public Schools, Boulder Valley School District, Douglas County School District, Westminster Public Schools and Weld Co. RE3J are among more than 100 districts delaying classes.

Several dozen flights at Denver International Airport were canceled Thursday morning, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware. Many roads in the metro area remain slick with ice.

The worst of the storm is over, meteorologists say. But the Colorado Department of Transportation warned drivers that Thursday morning’s commute may be a slow one.

After a slow start to the season, Wednesday’s snowfall put the metro area back near its average accumulation for this time of year. In December, Denver recorded its latest first snowfall in decades.

Denver International Airport has logged 29.7 inches of snow so far this winter, which is right around the seasonal average of 30 inches, said Bernie Meier, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boulder.

“No big storms yet, but the last seven weeks have had enough little storms to get us close to normal,” Meier said. “There’s still consequences for not having an early snow this year, including the Marshall Fire.”

The NWS expects sunny and warmer weather through this weekend. There’s another chance of snow early next week.

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