LOVELAND, Colo. — Several ski areas are closed Thursday as a strong winter storm impacts Colorado.
Loveland Ski Area, Arapahoe Basin and Eldora will be closed Thursday after a major storm hit Colorado Wednesday night.
Loveland Ski Area announced its closure Thursday citing the closure of westbound Interstate 70.
Westbound I-70 is closed between Golden at C-470 and Silverthorne due to safety concerns, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said Thursday morning.
The I-70 closure is between Mile Point 259 to Mile Point 205. CDOT said drivers should expect delays, but did not say when the interstate was expected to reopen.
The Boulder County Sheriff's Office said Eldora ski area will be closed Thursday because the road is currently impassable. The sheriff's office asked people not to attempt to drive there until road conditions improve and the ski area opens.
Arapahoe Basin also announced its closure for Thursday on its website citing extreme weather conditions as well as the closure of Interstate 70.
CDOT said it is important that motorists make sure their vehicles are packed with equipment that may be necessary in the event of a road closure.
Motorists can visit COtrip.org, the COtrip Planner app or call 511 for the latest road conditions and updated information about highway closures.
After rain changed over to snow late Wednesday, the snow began to pile up Thursday across Colorado's Front Range, foothills, mountains and Denver metro area.
Snow reports near Conifer, Central City, Ward and Nederland measured snowfall near 3 feet, as of 8:30 a.m. Thursday. Evergreen, Raymond and Genesee have received more than 25 inches of snow.
The snow will continue throughout Thursday and Colorado won't see a break in the snowfall until the system starts to move southward early Friday morning.
Hundreds of flights have been canceled at Denver International Airport on Thursday.
Hundreds of Colorado schools, businesses, museums and government offices are closed Thursday.
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