Storm Summary
A powerful and potent January blizzard will bring wide-ranging impacts to Colorado on Monday. The storm's center of circulation is strengthening over the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma this morning, and will be moving through Oklahoma and Kansas later today. Local impacts will vary based on location, with the brunt of the storm expected to impact the eastern Plains, southern I-25 corridor and southeastern mountains.
Accumulations will vary region-wide, with of the snow coming to an end in the Pikes Peak Region between noon and 2 pm. Here locally, totals may range from 2-4" in Teller County and near the Palmer Divide to no accumulations from downtown Springs south towards Pueblo. On the eastern Plains, snow will continue most of the day, with 8-14" of snow possible in parts of Las Animas, Prowers and Baca counties.
Travel will be difficult in some areas throughout the day, with intermittent closures expected at times on the eastern Plains. Stay tuned to this weather blog for updates throughout the day.
9:30 p.m.
In a Facebook post, the Baca County Office of Emergency Management said that emergency crews have been working all day to get stranded people of the roads. At this time, ALL roads are closed and they say to stay home, or stop at a shelter immediately.
3:30 p.m.
The top wind gust reported today was near Campo, CO at 80 mph.
Other notable gusts:
News 5 viewer James Farmer shows the blizzard conditions in Lamar today:
@NWSPueblo current weather (8:50am) n of Lamar CO #blizzard visibility drops to 20–30 feet - strong winds with sideway snow. Dangerous storm conditions! Drifts starting in some areas where snow catches/slows. @WXAlexOBrien #weather pic.twitter.com/jmNIRyswBt
— James Farmer (@InnerNews) January 8, 2024
News 5 viewer Brian Lackey shows wind damage to a gas station in the Security-Widefield area of Colorado Springs.
3:10 p.m.
Eastbound I-70 is now closed in both directions from MM 292 to MM449, from three miles west of Watkins to the Kansas border.
Westbound I-70 is now closed from MM361 to MM449, from one mile east of Limon to the Kansas border.
11:25 a.m.
With 40-60 mph wind gusts in place this morning, wind chill values are down in the single digits and teens, even below zero in some areas.
11:05 a.m.
U.S. Highway 287 is currently closed from MM 0 to MM 75, the Oklahoma border to Lamar.
10:57 a.m.
I-25 is now closed in both directions from MM 0 to MM 11 in Las Animas County, at the Raton Pass.
Monday morning, areas of the eastern plains saw heavy snow, and schools either delayed or closed in our area.
Track this storm through the morning, including snow totals and updated forecasts, on the First Alert 5 Weather stream, which can be viewed on the KOAA News5 app for your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV or AndroidTV.
(this is a game time decision on where it belongs in the blog, if at all. Please do not place at very top of story)
Resources:
- Get your latest First Alert 5 Weather Forecast
- Find the current school closing and delay list
- Keep track of flight delays at Denver International Airport or the Colorado Springs Airport
- Watch KOAA News5 LIVE newscasts and updated content throughout the day in your browser, the News5 App, or your favorite streaming device.
- Download the free News5 App for your iOS or Android device to get the latest headlines and news across Colorado.
- Download the free First Alert 5 Weather App for your iOS or Android device to get the latest headlines and news across Colorado.
- You can find us on social media with KOAA on Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter
