Colorado blizzard will have significant travel impacts and road closures across mountains ahead of Thanksgiving

Significant travel impacts and road closures are expected across the Colorado Highlands Tuesday into Wednesday, ahead of Thanksgiving. Travel should be avoided for a period of approx. 36 hours starting on Tuesday morning and lasting until Wednesday afternoon.

Snow rates across the mountains will be at or above 1″+ an hour from 2-5 AM Tuesday morning. This will quickly cover roads and create treacherous travel conditions before sunrise Tuesday.

The snow will continue all day Tuesday and end Wednesday afternoon. Widespread 10-24″ of snow is expected over the mountains with a few areas reaching 36″. Winds will also gust up to 35 MPH creating extremely limited visibility.

Many people will be hitting the roads ahead of Thanksgiving, creating additional concerns as the snow moves in. The best times to travel over I-70 will be Monday afternoon and evening, ahead of the overnight snow. If you can’t get out on Monday, it’s best to wait until Wednesday afternoon. Roads will still be slick, but the snow will be gone and the sun will add plow drivers as the thaw begins.

Rain will transition to snow Tuesday night into Wednesday across the Front Range. This will give a general 1-4″ in Denver and 4-8″ across the Palmer Divide. Travel will remain good to go on Tuesday over I-25, with slick roads Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. If you plan to travel over the Palmer Divide, it’s best to wait until Wednesday afternoon and allow plenty of extra time.

Temperatures will drop into the single digits and teens over Colorado Thanksgiving morning. Any wet or slippery road will be a piece of ice, so be very careful.