'Don't be caught out': Polis, state officials urge caution ahead of major storm

DENVER — On the one year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring pandemic, Coloradans are hearing a similar message: Stay Home.

However, state officials aren’t talking about COVID-19, though that is still very much ongoing in Colorado. This time, they’re talking about weather.

A major storm, dubbed Winter Storm Xylia by The Weather Channel, is expected to drop several inches—and in some places, feet—of heavy, wet snow along the Front Range, foothills, and I-25 corridor starting Friday night. The National Weather Service expects Denver to receive between 15 and 25 inches of snow. Estes Park could receive as much as 30 inches, according to the latest predictions.

Governor Jared Polis in a March 11 press briefing warned that falling trees and downed power lines are a possibility in the storm. The governor activated the Colorado National Guard to help with any search and rescue missions.

“Use your common sense,” Polis said. “If it starts to snow, it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better. So don’t be caught out.”

Many people have drawn comparisons to the March 2003 storm, when nearly 32 inches of snow fell on Denver. It remains the second largest snowstorm in Denver history, behind a December 1913 storm that resulted in a debilitating 45.7 inches. As for this weekend, the NWS service said there is “low potential to approach the March 2003 snowstorm.”

The Colorado Department of Transportation has already warned motorists to stay off the road this weekend.

“AVOID traveling on impacted roads during the storm, throughout the Denver metro area, on the I-70 Mountain Corridor and I-25 South Gap construction zone between Castle Rock and Monument,” the agency wrote in a news release (all-caps emphasis theirs). “CDOT is likely to close these roadways for safety reasons depending on the severity of the storm.”

For more information, sign up for travel alerts here and check road conditions here.

If you’re in a position where you must drive, Governor Polis published the following winter driving checklist on his Facebook page:

• Windshield wiper fluid
• Tire tread
• Scraper, brush or shovel
• Flashlight with extra batteries
• Survival blanket/sleeping bag
• Chemical hand warmers
• First aid kit
• Essential medications
• Tire chains and tow strap
• Jumper cables

The NWS also tweeted “winter weather preparation guidelines” with information on what you should prepare ahead of the storm.