DENVER — A round of rain and snow caused slick and sometimes dangerous conditions on Colorado roads Thursday morning prompting the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to warn drivers to delay their morning commute or telework if possible.
CDOT called driving conditions treacherous along the Front Range and the I-70 mountain corridor due to heavy wet snow that impacted roads overnight. By mid-day conditions had improved especially on the main roads and warmer temperatures melted much of the snow and ice.
Rain showers developed across the Denver metro area on Wednesday afternoon and then changed over to snow. Though the snow was done falling ahead of the Thursday morning commute, it left some roads icy and slick across the region.
Particularly, watch out for icy spots on bridges, overpasses and in shady areas. CDOT reported Thursday morning that many major metro area roadways were icy and snowpacked in some places.
If you have to be out, take it slow, keep a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of you, stay well behind plows, do not pass plows and give extra time.
Winter Weather Advisories were in effect from 5 p.m. Wednesday through 8 a.m. Thursday for Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, Jefferson, Boulder, Teller and Kit Carson counties, and parts of Larimer, Elbert, Lincoln, El Paso, Park and Clear Creek counties.
FORECAST: Full forecast
CLOSURES: Full list of closures
ALERTS: Latest Colorado weather alerts
Below: Closures and speeds on Colorado roads:
Know before you go and check out COtrip.org for the latest road conditions.
Keep up here with the latest road conditions
Colorado chain and traction laws
The CDOT urged travelers to be aware of chain and traction law codes before heading out on the roadway:
- Code 18/Commercial Chain Law: Commercial vehicles and trucks must have chains. Vehicles without chains can often lose traction, causing traffic delays and sometimes road closures. For the safety of the traveling public, it's critical to use chains to comply with Colorado's chain law.
- Code 15/Passenger Traction Law: All passenger vehicles must have appropriate all-weather tires with 3/16-inch depth. Vehicles must have one of the following: winter tires, tires with mud/snow (M+S) designation, chains or alternative traction devices such as an autosock. 4WD and AWD vehicles must have winter tires or all-weather tires.
- Code 16/Passenger Chain Law: All passenger vehicles need chains, except for 4WD and AWD vehicles with all-weather tires with 3/16-inch tread depth.
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