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Colorado road conditions: Snow slows traffic on Denver-area highways

A February cold front has brought snow and below-freezing temperatures to the Centennial State.

COLORADO, USA — The latest winter cold front has brought snow and below-freezing temperatures to Colorado, leading to slick, icy and snow-packed roads across the state.

CDOT is urging motorists to avoid travel during the brunt of the storm.

A mile of westbound Interstate 70 between 6th Avenue and C470 closed due to the snow Wednesday evening, CDOT said. As of 10:30 p.m., the westbound lanes were closed for the 12.5-mile stretch between 6th Avenue and just east of Floyd Hill. Westbound lanes of Interstate 70 reopened late Wednesday night, according to a tweet from CDOT.

Driving conditions could be very hazardous along the I-70 mountain corridor at Floyd Hill and the I-25 corridor at Monument south of Castle Rock, said CDOT.

CDOT said it will focus first on the interstates and other major state-maintained roadways with the highest traffic volumes. Once the storm subsides, crews will plow other state routes.

RELATED: Winter Storm Warning issued for Denver metro area

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CDOT is also reminding drivers it is illegal to pass a snowplow when it is operating in a tandem formation with one or more snowplows. Tandem plowing staggers multiple plows to cover all lanes and clear the entire roadway in one sweep.

In general, drivers should not pass plows because they are pushing snow, slush, rocks and other debris that could damage your car and obstruct your view.

FORECAST: Full forecast
CLOSURES: Full list of closures

Keep up with the latest road conditions here:

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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