At this time, I-70 and the surrounding highways will likely remain closed until tomorrow (Sat).  The Denver metro area is getting hit with another round of snow and roads are wet and slushy, but becoming icy and snow packed. Motorists can call 511 or visit www.cotrip.org for updated lane closure information.

Highway Closures

EB I-70 between Airpark Road and Limon

WB I-70 between Kansas and Airpark

US 24 between Falcon (east of Colorado Springs) and Limon

SH 86 between Kiowa and I-70

US 36 between I-70 (Byers) and SH 71
Northbound US 287 closed from Eads to Kit Carson

US 40 between Kit Carson and Limon

SH 71 between Last Chance through Limon to Ordway
SH 94 between Colorado Springs and Punkin Center

From CDOT, if you are heading into the mountains:

Conditions have improved in many areas but winter driving conditions continue in some areas along Interstate 70 and other highways west and southwest of Denver.   At the lower elevations, roads are primarily wet,  with roads slushy, snow-packed and icy in spots at the higher elevations, east of the Eisenhower Tunnel.  Road conditions west of the Tunnel are much improved, with mostly wet conditions reported. 

Chain laws remain for large trucks on eastbound and westbound I-70 between Morrison Road (Exit 259) and Evergreen Parkway area, on westbound I-70 from the Evergreen Parkway area to east Idaho Springs and on   Floyd Hill, on US 6 – Loveland Pass, and on US 285 between the Morrison area (Highway 8) and Pine Junction.  However, all highways remain open for travel west of Denver.

February is known for bitter cold and occasional snow along the Front Range. In a typical February, Denver will see about 6 inches of snow. But this storm is unusually strong for this time of year, more like something we’d see in late March or early April.
Here are some of the latest snow totals:
 
Snow totals as of 5pm:

48 inches - 3 miles north of Blackhawk

38.4 inches - Coal Creek
35 inches – west of Jamestown
34 inches - Pinecliff31 inches - west of Conifer

27 inches - Livemore (Larimer County)

20.5 inches - Idledale

18 inches - Strasburg (4 to 5 foot drifts, too)

16 inches - Bear Lake (RMNP)

17 inches- Chatfield Reservoir, Aurora, Kiowa
16.8 inches - SW Aurora
15.5 inches – Strasburg
14 inches - Monument
13.5 inches - Boulder

12.1 inches - Castle Rock
13 inches - South Denver

6 inches - Sterling.

It’s been 81 years since Denver has recorded a foot of snow from one storm in the month of February!

The top 3 all-time February storms on record in are…

• 12" in 1931
• 12.9" in 1909
• 14.2" in 1912

Updates on the storm:

Cherry Creek and Park Meadows shopping centers closing at 5pm on Fri. night.

Denver Zoo:   The Denver Zoo will be closed on Saturday, for the second day in a row.

At DIA:  Spokesperson says snow is tapering off at DIA.  As always, check with your airlines through mid-day on Saturday for possible flight delays. 

Colorado State Government offices in the metro area will close at 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3rd, due to the extreme weather conditions. The metro area includes Denver and surrounding suburban counties.

The Douglas County School District has announced that most of its facilities will be closed Saturday due to the continuing snowstorm. High school sports and activities at District venues will be allowed to resume on Saturday afternoon and the District will be allowing DCSD high school athletes to compete in meets and games within the metro area.

From Rocky Mountain National Park:

Early this morning we had received 16 inches of new snow at Bear Lake, elevation 9, 475 feet, and it was snowing at the rate of  1 to 2 inches an hour.  

In Golden:

City of Golden administrative offices and the Golden Community Center will close at 2:30 p.m. today.  The pools at the Golden Community Center will close at 2 p.m

In Lakewood:

Tonight’s  performance of Ballet Nouveau Colorado’s “Love in the Digital Age,” scheduled for 8 p.m. at the Lakewood Cultural Center, has been canceled.

 
Some things you should have in your car during a big snow storm:
•Flares/reflectors to signal for help and warn other motorists
•Sturdy scraper/snow brush/snow shovel to clear snow
•Battery or crank-powered radio to listen to emergency broadcasts
•Flashlight with extra batteries or crank-powered flashlight
•Survival blanket or sleeping bag
•Chemical hand warmers
•Extra set of clothes, including coat, hat, mittens, boots, etc.
•Gallon jug of water and nonperishable food
•First aid kit and essential medications
•Tire chains and tow strap
•Non-clumping kitty litter/sand for traction
•Jumper cables
•Extra cloth or paper towels for cleanup if necessary
•Deck of cards or board game for entertainment

The Denver Police Department is apologizing to Representative Bradford and making it clear she did not invoke legislative immunity to avoid a possible DUI.  They say a police supervisor brought it up and Bradford said she wanted to be treated just like anyone else.  She said it more than once, but the police ignored her request.   The West Slope Republican was stopped last Wednesday night by Denver police. She was observed making an illegal lane change and turn.  She was driving a car with legislative plates on it.  Officers noted the smell of alcohol on her breath and conducted a roadside sobriety test.  But because Bradford is a lawmaker, police called a supervisor for advice.  She was ticketed for an illegal lane change and was allowed to take a cab home.

Bradford could face criminal charges for something else; she had a gun in her car. It is illegal to possess a firearm when you are intoxicated. Bradford did tell police she had a gun in her vehicle, when she was stopped.  It will be up to Denver's District Attorney to decide if she'll be charged.  

Following word of the traffic stop and the controversy over immunity, House Speaker Frank McNulty suspended Bradford as chairwoman of the House Local Government Committee.   A House Ethics committee has been appointed to investigate. 

Students in the Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law have filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the proposed “Over the River” industrial-scale art project. The project proposes hanging aluminum coated material panels over 5.9 miles of the Arkansas River, in scattered sections over a 42-mile stretch.  Among the concerns, the 9,000 holes that will be drilled along the riverbank that will serve as anchors for the project. The suit is being being filed on behalf the grassroots, all-volunteer organization Rags Over the Arkansas River (ROAR). The group opposes the industrial scale art project citing environmental issues and dangers to the residents and visitors to the area.

Rick Santorum spoke to a group of about 300 people at the Lone Tree Golf Club. He called on Colorado Republicans not to listen to the pundits who say Mitt Romney is the most electable candidate.  Santorum says the GOP has gone with a "moderate" candidate before and lost.  He asked the crowd, "So what did John McCain do for you?"  Santorum also said Romneycare in Massachusetts is even worse than Obamacare and predicted President Obama would destroy Romney when health care comes up for debate in the fall.  He also blasted Romney and Newt Gingrich for voting for the bailout of Wall Street banks.  The former Senator said those who claim the Republican race is over are full of baloney.  He said he can draw the biggest contrasts with President Obama and argued a conservative who sticks to his principles can defeat the President.

Congressman Ron Paul's gathering at the Renaissance Denver Hotel was standing room only. Some Paul supporters had to park blocks away after the hotel garage filled up. Throughout Paul's  speech, even those who had chairs stood and cheered.  Most of Paul's supporters appeared to be in the 18 to 34 demographic range.  Paul sounded themes of individual liberty, sound money policy and an end to foreign wars that are not declared by Congress. Before Paul arrived the crowd chanted "President Paul" and "End the Fed".   Earlier in the day the Congressman spoke to a crowd of 1,100 at C-S-U in Fort Collins.  The crowd in Denver appeared to be just as big. The Congressman planned to close out his day in Colorado with a stop in Colorado Springs.

Colorado's presidential precinct caucuses are next week. The caucuses are non-binding; Colorado's 36 republican national convention delegates will be chosen at a state assembly in April.

Joe Coors Jr. says he'll challenge Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter in Colorado's 7th district. The great-grandson of brewery founder Adolph Coors says he's running on a platform of limited government and free enterprise and cited his great-grandfather's success as ``a classic american story.'' Coors did not mention Perlmutter by name in his prepared remarks, referring to him only as ``the incumbent.''  Coors cited the size of the national debt and the continued level of federal spending as his top concerns. Coors' younger brother, Pete, lost a race for u.s. senate in 2004 against Ken Salazar.

State GOP Chair Ryan Call says it's important to know WHERE your Caucus meeting is taking place on Tuesday, February 7th. Eligible Republican voters can simply visit www.caucus.cologop.org to find their local precinct caucus location and pre-register.

A 70-count indictment charges 14 people with trafficking children for sex in Colorado.  The ring involved the prostitution of children as well as the sale of meth and cocaine. Attorney General John Suthers says the suspects arranged for "out calls" via the Internet and coerced the children into prostitution through the use of drugs and threats of violence.

Children were transported for sex to clients in Denver, Boulder, Glenwood Springs, Grand junction and Lakwood.

Suthers says  "Human trafficking and child prostiution are tragic crimes, from the devastating effects they have on their victims to the mere fact that the use and sale of persons persists in our world today." 

If convicted of the crimes stated in the indictment , four ringleaders of the operation could face up to 24 years in prison and up to a million dollars in fines.