Denver, Eastern Plains to get hit with up to 3 feet of snow

Another round of winter weather will sweep across Colorado’s Front Range and Eastern Plains on Fridaywith forecasters expecting treacherous road conditions and nearly 3 feet of snow in some areas.

Metro Denver and the southern foothills will see 7 to 14 inches of snow starting Friday morning and continuing into Saturday, with the heaviest snowfall along Interstate 70 and to the south.

“Travel will be impossible east and southeast of Denver,” National Weather Service forecasters said in a winter storm warning Thursday. “Do not travel or expect to travel in these locations through at least Saturday as heavy snow impacts will last long after this storm.”

People living in rural areas of eastern Douglas, Elbert, Lincoln and southern Washington counties should prepare to be stranded for several days, NWS forecasters said.

Historic snow accumulations are expected in Elbert and Lincoln counties, with snow reaching nearly 3 feet in some areas.

Metro drivers can expect a difficult evening commute as the heaviest snow begins to fall around noon and will continue to fall at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour into the evening.

Colorado Department of Transportation officials urged drivers to avoid traveling east of Interstate 25 and south of Interstate 76 to the New Mexico and Kansas state lines due to “treacherous, persistently adverse winter conditions.”