Denver forecast: 5 to 9 inches of snow, chance of plowing.

Small plows will come to your street, the city says.
3 min. read
A snowy day over Garfield Lake in Mar Lee. Jan. 5, 2022.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

UPDATE: Almost 8 inches of snow fell at Denver International Airport, making it the city's worst snow storm since January 1992. Read more here.

Our original story follows below.


Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect that the city's rec centers will not be open Wednesday, Jan. 18, as warming centers, and that an overnight shelter has been activated.

Heavy snow is on the way to the Denver metro.

A winter storm warning will be in effect starting at 5 p.m., which is also when we can expect to start seeing snowfall.

Some 5 to 9 inches could fall across the Denver metro, according to the National Weather Service's forecast, and as expected, this will impact major roads. Temperatures will drop slightly below freezing overnight.

It's probably best to stay off the roads, but if you must, here are some tips on getting around.

The city will open the McNichols Civic Center Building at 144 W. Colfax Ave. at 6 p.m. Tuesday for overnight shelter.

Overnight shelter will also be offered Wednesday night, according to a press release from Denver Public Health and Environment. Families in need of shelter can call 303-356-3377 for other options.

Rec centers will not be open Wednesday as warming centers, according to a correction issued by the city.

This time, the city says it'll plow your street.

Last week, a city spokesperson told us Denver didn't deploy residential plows because it expected a warmer forecast and officials believed the snow would melt soon after it fell. Instead, we ended up with very slippery sidewalks, streets and bike lanes because the snow got packed down and then froze and refroze overnight.

But this week, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is "preparing to deploy its big plows to the main streets, and small plows to the residential streets," according to an update on the city's snow removal information page.

Ice covers part of a sidewalk downtown. Jan. 10, 2023.
Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite

Denver has 70 large plows that it uses for 2,050 miles of main streets. The city has 36 smaller plows for residential streets. You can track the city's plows by going here.

Remember to clear snow from sidewalks.

Residential property owners are required to clear snow from their sidewalks the day after it snows. Businesses have to clear it immediately after it stops snowing.

If you get a warning, you have 24 hours to comply and an inspector comes to check, or you could face a $150 fine; businesses have four hours to comply.

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