Kathy Gomez shovels her sidewalk in Denver on Sunday. Around 2,000 flights to and from Denver were canceled this weekend and highways across the state were closed as a winter storm hits Colorado and neighboring states. Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images Hide caption
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Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images
Kathy Gomez shovels her sidewalk in Denver on Sunday. Around 2,000 flights to and from Denver were canceled this weekend and highways across the state were closed as a winter storm hits Colorado and neighboring states.
Michael Ciaglo / Getty Images
Sections of Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska are digging up under a foot of snow in what the National Weather Service has called a “historic and crippling” blizzard. And the storm is likely to continue as the central part of the country is ready to see blizzard conditions before snow hits the Midwest.
With at least 25.8 inches of snow in Cheyenne, Wyo., The record for the heaviest 2-day blizzard has been broken there. according to For NWS Cheyenne, the previous 2-day total record was 25.2 inches, which was set in November 1979. The storm covered southeast Wyoming, northern Colorado, and western Nebraska.
Across Wyoming, gusts of winds up to 90 km / h have helped cover the state in heavy and blowing snow. according to For the NWS, travel in Wyoming and the western Nebraska Panhandle remains “extremely dangerous or impossible”, including the I-80 corridor between Cheyenne and Rawlins.
Strong winds can severely damage trees and power lines. “Conditions will be life threatening for those caught unprepared,” the NWS said. “Travel should only be limited to emergencies” – and anyone who has to travel should also have a winter survival kit with them and stay in their vehicle if they are stranded.
In Colorado, some areas saw 1 to 2 feet of snow in this weekend’s storm, one of the largest of the season. Some areas of the state saw more than 30 inches. Numerous roads are closed and travel is “severely discouraged,” said NWS. More than 2,000 flights were canceled at Denver International Airport over the weekend, according to Reuters.
The danger is not over yet. “We are in the middle of a big blizzard in many parts of Colorado,” said Governor Jared Polis tweeted Sunday evening. “Stay at home and stay safe as long as conditions remain bad.” On Saturday, Polis authorized the Colorado National Guard to assist with search and rescue queries throughout the weekend.
The storm system has also resulted in heavy snowfalls and blizzards in the central Rockies and the High Plains. The snowstorm was expected to move northeast on late Sunday, where heavy snow is forecast to fall in eastern South Dakota, southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.
