Updated at 5:14 p.m. March 14:
Parents and guardians, be prepared to keep your school-age kids home again on Friday.
Denver Public Schools, Jefferson County Public School, Douglas County Schools and Cherry Creek Schools all announced that they will be closed March 15.
Friday is also the last day before Spring Break for JeffCo students, so enjoy it, kids. Aurora Public Schools are currently on Spring Break.
Denver also announced that the city government, including libraries and recreation centers, will be closed Friday as well.
In fun news, Little Man Ice Cream is satisfying your sweet tooth at a low cost. If you brave the terrain. Five locations will be offering $1 pints from 7:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Please note, it's one pint per person, while supplies last, and vegan flavors will be scooped to order.
These are the locations:
Little Man Ice Cream “The Can,” Highlands; 2620 16th Street
Little Man Ice Cream Factory, Sloan's Lake; 4411 W. Colfax Ave
Sweet Cooie’s, Congress Park; 3506 E. 12th Ave.
Little Man Ice Cream Englewood, Englewood; 3455 S. University Blvd
Old Town Churn, Fort Collins; 234 N. College Ave.
Need to know what's going on throughout the state? You the latest statewide updates here.
8:00 a.m. Thursday
Snow is coming. A lot of it. [UPDATE: It snowed.]
Denver and the surrounding areas are expected to get between 8 to 16 inches of snow, with most of the snowfall occurring through Thursday morning and night.
Here’s how the storm may disrupt your day:
All Denver Public Schools and offices will be closed Thursday due to the storm. DPS said all school-related activities and events will also be canceled.
DPS added that it will monitor the weather and all updates will be posted on their website or through social media.
All Jefferson County Public School buildings and facilities will be closed Thursday, as well. JeffCo says charter school attendees should check with their perspective schools for any delays or closures. The Board meeting scheduled for Thursday will now be virtual.
Cherry Creek Schools and the Auraria Campus will also be closed.
Aurora Public Schools are on spring break.
Similarly, all Denver Recreations Centers and libraries will be closed Thursday.
Road conditions will be icy, but the city plans to plow ahead.
Meteorologists suggest everyone remain indoors, but if you must travel, be aware that the Thursday morning commute is expected to be tough and slow. A National Weather Service meteorologist also told Denverite that folks should dress in warm, water-resistant layers and pack cars with extra supplies.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said the big and small plows are ready to be deployed. About 54 large plows will be deployed every 12 hours once the snow begins to fall to clean up main roads and drop deicer. At around 3 a.m. Thursday morning, 36 residential plows will be sent out to perform single-passes along side streets once every 24 hours.
Residential plows clean off the top few inches of snow to clear paths toward main roads. They do not carry deicer nor will they clean the street entirely.
“We are ready,” Mayor Mike Johnston told a crowd of reporters at a Wednesday afternoon press conference regarding the city's snow storm response.
The city is considering the storm as a rare Tier 4 event, the most severe sort that only comes once or twice a year.
DOTI also encourages residents to remain indoors. If you have to drive, the agency suggests slow speeds, using caution when approaching intersections and, if there are traffic signal outages, treat dark or flashing red traffic signals as four-way stops.
Bikers are encouraged to use the trail system and have winterized bikes. Protected bike lanes are plowed by smaller vehicles that can drop deicer. Those lanes will be cleaned once every 24 hours.
The Regional Transportation Department said passengers should prepare for delays and slower travel times, especially if conditions become adverse. Passengers should sign up for service alerts for the most up to date information.
As of Thursday morning, several rail and bus lines have been delayed or cancelled. RTD said no operators are available to run the affected lines.
RTD will run “sweep trains” if needed to keep wires from icing up. Rail steps will be heated to avoid excess ice and snow. Track switches will be utilized to ensure they do not freeze. Vehicle maintenance teams will be around for any mechanical issues. Crews will be around to verify that track switch heaters, gate heaters and house heaters are operational. Crews will also be riding trains to closely monitor any needs for repairs.
For bus and Access-a-Ride passengers : RTD said all operators receive annual refresher training for driving in the snow and ice and know how to utilize tire chains. Street supervisors will be around to monitor any stuck buses or accidents. RTD reminds riders that buses use the same roads as others. Please be patient and leave early.
Denver International Airport officials said passengers should check with their airlines regarding potentials delays or cancellations.
They should also expect an additional 10 to 15 minute delay to get on the planes so they can be de-iced before takeoff.
DIA adds that passengers can check real-time TSA security wait times through FlyDenver.com.
As of 8:00 a.m. Thursday, over 800 flights arriving at or leaving the airport have been canceled and 40 have been delayed, according to national tracker FlightAware. Wednesday saw a fraction of those impacts, with 29 cancellations and 159 delays.
There could be added headaches for travelers at the airport as DIA announced earlier this week that it expected to see an influx of passengers due to Spring Back travel. Travel demand is expected to be high through the end of the month, though the busiest days will be March 16, 17 and 22, according to a DIA statement.
Besides transportation, DOTI says watch out for downed branches and cables.
Denver’s Solid Waste Management Division will collect limited branches as part of its regular extra trash collection service. Those branches can’t be larger than four inches in diameter and must be cut into lengths of four feet or shorter. They have to be bundled and tied, weighing no more than 50 pounds.
If you see a downed power cable, call Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-1999.
And don’t forget to shovel. Businesses must shovel once the snow stops and residents can clear their sidewalks by the next day. If you need assistance shoveling, you can reach out to Snow Angels program at www.denvergov.org/SnowAngels .
And if you're in need of shelter:
Johnston says city workers have been asking people living on the streets to come inside and offering bus tickets to warmer cities to new immigrants who are refusing shelter. The city will also activate overnight shelters as well as warming centers.
Denverite reporter Kyle Harris and CPR reporter Paolo Zialcita contributed reporting.
