Flurries forecast for tomorrow morning

Rocky Mountain News

Published December 23, 2006 at midnight

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We not quite out of the white just yet.

A series of weak storms are to pass through the Denver area over the next several days with a 10 percent chance of flurries tomorrow morning, according to the National Weather Service.

The storms are moving in from the west, so the northern and central mountains will absorb most of what little snow there will be.

It will be nothing like Wednesday’s storm that roared in from New Mexico, heading for Kansas. That created up-slope conditions that pushed the storm snug against the Front Range.

Another weak system will move through Sunday evening but isn’t expected to produce many flakes.

Temperatures tomorrow are expected to be in the high 20s, but a warm-up into the 30s is expected Sunday through next Tuesday.

Flights in the air to Denver

4:46 p.m. Another runway opened at Denver International around 4 p.m. today, bringing the total of operating runways to three, officials said.

A fourth runway is expected to open tonight, which would bring DIA up to its normal operating capacity.

The first departure today was FedEx flight 3623. The first passenger departure was Frontier Airlines flight 57 to Mazatlan. Frontier flight 420 to Atlanta was the first domestic departure.

Full story

DIA: Up, up and away

1:21 p.m. Denver International Airport officially reopened today with the departure of a FedEx plane at 11:55 a.m., its first flight in two days.

Some warm-weather enthusiasts were the first passengers to get out of DIA on a Frontier Airlines flight bound for Mexico. Frontier also launched the first domestic departure with a flight to Atlanta.

Numerous planes also are on their way to the city from other locations.

"We already have flights in the air that will be arriving soon," Jean Medina, a spokeswoman for United Airlines, said this morning.

United, which is Denver’s largest carrier, plans to operate about 300 departures and arrivals at the airport today, roughly a third of its scheduled service. Most of today’s cancellations involved morning flights, although some are for later in the day.

Many people scheduled to leave this afternoon or later "should be able to get out," Medina said, but the carrier is encouraging customers to check for updates at www.united.com before leaving for the airport.

United was forced to cancel 2,000 flights since Wednesday, stranding tens of thousands of passengers. The company has brought in larger planes and extra employees from other areas to help get passengers into and out of Denver.

Other airlines also are restarting service around noon, although they won’t be running full schedules until Saturday.

"Tomorrow will be the first day that we’re fully operational," said Frontier spokesman Joe Hodas.

Frontier will operate about 109 flights today, roughly a third of its scheduled total.

-- Chris Walsh and Julie Poppen

Smaller airports ease DIA's burden

12:35 p.m. s Denver International Airport attempts to get back on its feet this afternoon, smaller airports in the region have already reopened and are helping some stranded passengers get out of town.

Several companies have rerouted employees from commercial flights at DIA to corporate jets at smaller airports. And some travelers are opting for charter flights leaving from other locations.

Centennial Airport, which opened at 6 p.m. Thursday, had seven planes lined up waiting to take off by mid-morning today. Private and corporate planes make up the bulk of its traffic, but it’s also fielding "a lot of requests for charter flights," said Robert Olislagers, the airport’s executive director.

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Airlines gear up for departures

11:35 a.m. Denver International Airport expects to have four of six runways open by this evening, a spokesman said.

Two runways should be open by noon, a third by mid-afternoon and a fourth by early this evening, said DIA spokesman Daniel Melfi.

"There's hope for everybody that they're going to have a Merry Christmas," he said.

Frontier and United airlines opened their ticket counters at 4 a.m. in anticipation of noon departures — the first since the blizzard blew in Wednesday.

More than 2,000 flights had to be canceled because of the storm.

Full story

Roof gives way under heavy snow

10:38 a.m. The roof of an discount store collapsed this morning, giving in to the heavy snowfall of the last two days, an Aurora fire captain said.

No one was injured at the Save-A-Lot store in the 600 block of Peoria, but Aurora Fire Capt. Mike Ackman said it was a "pretty significant collapse."

He said he doesn't know if anyone was in the building at the time.

Authorities have closed down the shopping center where the store is located to inspect other buildings and ensure the roofs are safe, Ackman said.

He said the roof of the Save-A-Lot was old, and probably already had incurred damage from the 2003 blizzard.

-- Ivan Moreno

Airlines gear up for departures

9:55 a.m., Friday Frontier and United airlines opened their ticket counters at 4 a.m. in anticipation of noon departures from Denver International Airport — the first since the blizzard blew in Wednesday.

More than 2,000 flights had to be canceled because of the storm.

DIA operations said today that crews have been clearing drifts 4 to 5 feet high from the runways and taxiways. About 20 inches of snow fell around the airport.

So far they have cleared two major runways and hope to have a third cleared by 10 a.m.

Ticket counters for American, Continental, Jet Blue, Southwest and U.S. Airways opened at 8 a.m. and all others will be open by noon.

During the height of the storm Wednesday night, as many as 4,700 people were stranded at DIA.

Yesterday, RTD buses took several thousand people from the airport to downtown hotels. An airport spokesman this morning said there were 1,500 to 1,800 who remained at the terminal last night.

Before going to the airport, it would be wise to check your airline for more information on departures and availability of flights.

Gov. Owens: Avoid long-distance travel

5:54 p.m. Roads are opening up, but Colorado Gov. Bill Owens is advising motorists to stay off state highways for at least another day or two.

"This remains a dangerous storm still, especially on the plains," Owens said this afternoon at a news conference at the Colorado Emergency Operations Center in Centennial.

"I’ve been asked by the professionals (in law enforcement) to ask people to avoid making long-distance travel in Colorado still for at least another day," he said. "If you’re planning a longer trip, why don’t you wait another day or so to make sure that these roads are passable?"

Full story

State offices reopening

6:47 p.m. State offices will open at 10am on Friday. As state government begins returning to normal operations, employees who are able to report to work on Friday should do so at 10 a.m. All essential state employees should continue to report as scheduled.

Officials: Highways reopening but don't use them

5:40 p.m. The Colorado Department of Transportation has opened several stretches of state highways but the Colorado State Patrol is still discouraging travel.

Interstate 25 from Denver to Wyoming has reopened, as has the stretch between Lincoln Avenue in Douglas County to Colorado Springs. However, travel south of Castle Rock was not advised as it "resembles Siberia."

Interstate 76 from Denver to Nebraska is also open but Interstate 70 from Air Park to the Kansas line remain closed due to drifts.

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Tonight's 'Nutcracker' performance cancelled

4:51 p.m. The Colorado Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker has been cancelled this evening due to the weather.

Ticket holders should call Ticketing Services at 303-837-8888 tomorrow to make alternate seating arrangements.

Also, both the ballet company and the Academy of Colorado Ballet are closed.

Full story

St. Martin's Chamber Choir concert cancelled

4:58 p.m. This evening's St. Martin's Chamber Choir concert is cancelled due to the snow storm. The choir is attempting to reschedule tonight's performance for sometime next week.

Tickets for tonight's cancelled performance will be honored at the rescheduled show, or they may be used at any other 2006-07 St. Martin’s concert.

Full story

RTD to resume partial service

4:28 p.m. The Regional Transportation District said this afternoon that it will run a Sunday/Holiday level of service on Friday for its entire transit system, including buses, light rail, call-n-Rides and access-a-Ride.

RTD will run this level of service because so many of the side streets and secondary roads that RTD would use for Saturday or full weekday service still remain largely unplowed.

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Closure sets DIA record

4:26 p.m. Denver International Airport is scheduled to reopen on a limited basis about noon Friday after the longest closure in its history, an airport spokesman said today.

"Not all flights will be operating, so you need to contact your airline and rebook," said DIA spokesman Chuck Cannon. "It all depends on what flights the airlines schedule."

He said the 45-hour closure, from 2:45 p.m. Wednesday until noon Friday, "may be the longest time we’ve ever been closed."

Full story

Blizzard transforms hotel to medical unit

2:11 p.m. A metro Marriott resembled a MASH unit during Wednesday’s blizzard as stranded drivers and personnel and patients from a nearby hospital converged on it, sleeping in the lobby and conference rooms.

One lodger had been getting treatment at nearby Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree for a pit-bull bite.

Others who took refuge were Jill and Stewart Hellem, from Colorado Springs, who had been trapped for nearly five hours on Interstate 25 trying to get home after his ankle surgery at another hospital in Denver.

"I’ve lived in Colorado all my life and never been caught before in a blizzard," Jill Hellem said today.

"This has been pretty amazing. My husband spent the night without painkillers and he was feeling it."

Full story

It's beginning to look a lot like . . . Russia

11:49 a.m. One hundred forty people spent the night at the Westminster City Park Recreation Center, many of them carried the last mile in National Guard trucks and Humvees.

Elena Kostogodova, a professor of Russian at the University of Colorado, had gone to Denver for a post-eye-surgery appointment . "Then, I was going to the Mars Rover movie at Imax, but it was canceled," she said.

So, about noon, she joined the queue at the Market Street RTD Station in downtown Denver, waiting for a Boulder-bound bus.

Eight hours later, her bus driver let her out at Sheridan Boulevard and U.S. 36.

"It was great" at the Rec Center, Kostogodova said. "But a little cold."

Full story

Avs game postponed

10:51 a.m. The Avalanche’s game against the Calgary Flames schedule for tonight at the Pepsi Center has been postponed because of treacherous road conditions caused by the blizzard.

It will be rescheduled at a later date.

"We have been in close consultation with the National Hockey League and the city of Denver and all parties realized that this was the best course of action given the current conditions," Kroenke Sports executive vice president Paul Andrews said. "The safety of our season ticket holders and all our fans and employees was the primary concern.

"The National Hockey League will announce a date for the rescheduled game in the near future and all tickets for tonight’s game will be valid at that time."

Full story

Plows are out in Denver

10:41 a.m. Denver Public Works had 62 plows and three road graders working throughout the night and will continue to work today, tomorrow and through the weekend.

Spokeswoman Patty Weiss said abandoned vehicles, a major problem for the plows, are being towed to five metro area parking lots:

Denver Coliseum
South end of INVESCO Field
Warren Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard
Old Albertsons parking lot at Colorado Boulevard and Evans
Old Finance Center parking lot at East First Avenue and Quebec

Motorists may call the Denver Police Department non-emergency number at 720-913-2000 to find their vehicles.

There will be no towing or impound charges incurred.

Shelters: The Auraria Campus emergency shelter set up by the American Red Cross accommodated approximately 75 people last night.

Reminder: All Denver County Courts are closed today.

Most major highways still closed

10:15 a.m. The Colorado Department of Transportation is having a major problem with motorists running roadblocks.

CDOT spokeswoman Stacey Stegman said motorists should be alerted that they are noting license plate numbers and if these vehicles are abandoned or stuck in the snow, they will be fined.

At this time, the current road closures across the state are:

I-25 Lincoln Avenue/south to Pueblo, from Walsenburg south to New Mexico and from State Highway 7 north to Wyoming.
I-25 is open between Pueblo and Walsenburg both directions and northbound between Walsenburg and Colorado Springs.
I-70 from Airpark Road (east of E-470) to Kansas.
I-76 westbound from Denver to Nebraska. Eastbound I-76 is open.
U.S. 85 from Brighton to Wyoming.
U.S. 287 from Teds Place to Wyoming.
U.S. 36 from Last Chance to Kansas.
U.S. 385 from U.S. 36 to Lamar.
State 86 from Castle Rock to I-70.
State 96 from Ordway to Kansas.
U.S. 6 Brush to Haxtun.
State 23 from Holyoke to Nebraska.
State 94 from Colorado Springs to Punkin Center.
State 71 Last Chance to Ordway and Stoneham to Wyoming.
State 59 from Kit Carson to Yuma County Line.
U.S. 24 Colorado Springs to Limon.
U.S. 40/287 from Limon to Lamar.
U.S. 40 Limon to Kansas.
U.S. 40 over Berthoud Pass.
U.S. 160 from Walsenburg to Alamosa.
State 10 from Walsenburg to La Junta.
State 93 from Boulder to Golden.
State 59 from U.S. 36 to the Yuma County Line.
State 63 from Anton to Washington County Line.
U.S. 350 from La Junta to U.S. 160.
U.S. 6 over Loveland Pass.
State 14 over Cameron Pass.
State 14 from I-25 to Sterling.
State116 from Kansas to U.S. 287/385.

Transportation buried by winter storm

9:52 a.m. Trains and planes and automobiles are of little use anywhere on Front Range Colorado today as the storm that dumped more than 2 feet of snow in some areas of the Denver area, continues to clog even major thoroughfares.

Forget buses. They are shut down for the day. And light rail is operating only on a very limited basis.

Denver International Airport was a hotel for about 4,700 people last night.

Spokesman Steve Snyder said there may be a few flights out this evening, but the hope is to reopen the airport by noon tomorrow.

Crews are fighting to move snow and the wind is drifting it back over.

Peña Boulevard is passable, but is snow-packed and icy in spots. Until DIA reopens only employees, commercial vehicles or people picking up someone one should be coming to the airport.

Full story

8:53a.m. DIA spokesman Steve Snyder said airport officials hope to reopen Denver International Airport by noon Friday.

6:51a.m., Thursday If you are counting on RTD to get you around today, you might want to start looking for a dog sled.

RTD closed bus service on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and shut down the Light Rail around midnight, spokesman Scott Reed said.

There won't be any bus service today, "the roads are just too bad," said Reed. Light Rail service might be possible "sometime later today."

Reed said there are big snow drifts in the Light Rail stations making it unsafe to travel. "We've been able to get the drifts cleared, but they drift right back."

7:01 p.m. The Mile High Chapter of the Red Cross is operating shelters at DIA and the Greyhound bus station in downtown Denver. For the airport, the Red Cross is providing water, snacks and diapers. For the Greyhound bus station, the Red Cross is supplying cots and blankets.

The Red Cross recently opened 3 additional shelters in the following locations:

• Alameda High School 1255 S. Wadsworth, Lakewood

• Auraria Campus/PE Events Center 1255 10th St., Denver

• Smoky Hill High School 16100 E. Smoky Hill Rd., Aurora

Red Cross is already operating shelters in:

• Kirk Hall, 500 Fairgrounds Road, Castle Rock

• Strasburg Community Church, 56155 Sunset Avenue, Strasburg

• Chaparral High School 15655 Brookstone Drive, Parker

• City Park Recreation Center 10455 Sheridan Blvd, Westminster

Travelers needing a safe place to stay can come to these shelters for food and drink and a warm place to stay.

The American Red Cross also announced that the following six shelters should be operational today. The listings include town, organization hosting, location and estimated time to open.

Interstate 76

Keenesburg (Red Cross)

Intersection of South Elm and Gandy

6 p.m.

Prospect Valley Station (Fire Department)

Intersection of Hwy 52 and Hwy 79

Time Unknown

Fort Morgan (Red Cross)

Ft. Morgan High School

709 E. Riverview

5 p.m.

Sterling (Red Cross)

First English Lutheran Church

701 Fairhurst St.

4 p.m.

Interstate 25

Longmont (Red Cross and Weld County)

Weld County Southwest Substation

4209 WCR 24 ½

North of Del Camino on frontage road

5 p.m.

Wellington (Red Cross)

Wellington Junior High School

4100 Wilson Ave.

3:30 p.m.

Also, the Southwest Weld Service Center at 4209 Weld County Road 24 1/2 is open and available as shelter to anyone needing assistance.

Visit www.weldsheriff.com for continuous updates.

Parks and Rec holds sledding party

8:56 p.m. Denver Parks and Recreation has organized a large sledding party from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. today at four locations for children of all ages. Free hot cocoa will be served at each site. The locations are: Ruby Hill Park on Jewel Avenue and Platte River Drive; 51st and Zuni in northwest Denver; Robinson Park in East Denver and Village Place Park in Montbello. Some sleds will be provided, but sledders are encouraged to bring their own.

FlatIron Crossing reopens as shelter

5:57 p.m.nbsp; FlatIron Crossing in Broomfield re-opened its doors, lit the fireplaces and perked up some coffee and hot chocolate for drivers stranded along U.S. 36 Wednesday evening. At the request of Broomfield police, the mall agreed to stay open overnight as an emergency shelter.

The mall closed at 1 p.m. Wednesday because of the blizzard, then workers spent the next couple hours helping shoppers dig our their cars or make hotel reservations nearby, said mall general manager Hugh Crawford.

Just as they were getting ready to head to their own homes, management got a call from the police asking if the center could stay open overnight for drivers stranded along the highway, he said.

Paradise Bakery re-opened to feed the folks, and by 5:30 p.m. there were more than 25 people in the shopping center's food court, he said, and more were expected as police routed highway traffic to the mall's exit.

Performances of "The Nutcracker" cancelled

5:19 p.m.nbsp; Tonight's performances of "The Nutcracker" by Colorado Ballet and the David Taylor Dance Theatre have been canceled, due to the snow storm. Colorado Ballet will be continue its engagement at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House through Sunday, while the David Taylor Dance Theatre ends its run at the Lakewood Cultural Center on Saturday. Ticketholders will be able to re-schedule a visit to the Ellie, but those holding Wednesday tickets for the David Taylor staging will have to wait till next year.

Those with tickets for the Colorado Ballet production may arrange for seating at remaining performances by calling 303-837-8888. Scheduled showtimes are 7 p.m. Thursday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday. No refunds will be given for tonight's canceled performance.

The David Taylor Dance Theatre will be unable to exchange tonight's tickets for weekend performances. The company, however, is offering a "2006 Nutcracker Cancellation Certificate," offering compensation. The vouchers will be mailed out by Jan. 5. More information is available on the company's Web site, www.dtdt.org.

Art Institute of Colorado and Argosy University closed

5:15 p.m. The Art Institute of Colorado and Argosy University will be closed Thursday, December 21. Classes for Argosy University and the administrative offices for The Art Institute of Colorado are tentatively scheduled to resume on Friday, December 22. Students and parents may call 303.824.4969 for updates.

Jefferson County's Adminstration and Courts Building closed

5:09 p.m. Jefferson County's Adminstration and Courts Building closed at noon Wednesday as the storm intensified, shutting down all services except Emergrancy Management Operations, said county spokeswoman Kathryn Heider.

The building is expected to open at 10 a.m. tomorrow, but Heider said the storm will be closely monitored and the decision to re-open will be re-evaluated early Thursday.

Lakewood City Hall also closed at noon, although the City Clerk’s Office remained open through the afternoon in case any hardy voters ventured out to return mail ballots on a proposed land swap involving a 22-acre portion of Iron Spring Park. The deadline for ballots is Jan. 2.

Lakewood's Municipal courts also closed, but the city activated a phone bank (303) 987-5412 to handle emergency transportation for essential personnel requests as well as for doctors, nurses and other medical personnel.

Aurora sets up hotline; declares emergency

4:33 p.m. Aurora City Manager Ron Miller has declared a local state of emergency, which will enable the city to pursue additional resources in its response and recovery from the blizzard.

The city also is initiating a Level III snow emergency response, which means all traffic is discouraged (with the exception of emergencies), and abandoned and immobile vehicles will be towed and possibly ticketed.

A hotline has been established to respond to non-emergency, blizzard-related phone calls. The line, 303-326-8792, will be up and running for the duration of the storm.

For emergencies, residents should call 911.

Springs malls close

Colorado Springs' two largest malls, Chapel Hills and The Citadel, closed at mid-afternoon Wednesday.

RTD buses will stop running at 7 p.m.

The Regional Transportation District has announced that because of deteriorating road conditions, bus service will be suspended as of 7 tonight. Light rail will continue to operate on a reduced scale.

All Call-n-Ride service will be suspended for Thursday, and Access-a-Ride service will only try to provide service to and from critical medical appointments.

RTD will continue to monitor weather and street conditions, and will resume service as conditions permit.

RTD is urging people to stay home and not travel this evening, and should cancel any travel plans for Thursday. Because blizzard conditions are predicted to continue through Thursday, RTD is not yet able to determine when service can be resumed. Announcements will be made through media outlets as conditions permit resumption of service.

For route and schedule information, please call RTD’s Telephone Information Center at 303.299.6000. Call 303.299.6089 for the speech and hearing impaired. Visit RTD’s web site at www.RTD-Denver.com.

Snow depths predicted

The National Weather Service is predicting accumulations of 6 to 10 inches this afternoon with 5 to 9 additional inches tonight.

Tomorrow another 1 to 2 inches could fall for a total of 21 inches at the deepest.

Wind is blowing, creating snow drifts, however.

All flights cancelled at DIA

United, Frontier and Southwest airlines have canceled all service to and from DIA.

United Airlines has canceled all flights into and out of Denver through noon tomorrow. That includes 160 departures tomorrow and roughly an equal number of arrivals.

The carrier said it will contact affected customers at the phone number they provided during the reservation process. Customers can also call United at 1-800-864-8331 to rebook.

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