PHOTOS: Immobilizing snowstorm forces Denver airport to close for first time in a decade

By Katy Galimberti, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

March 24,2016; 8:07PM,EDT

 

 

A powerful spring storm that dumped more than a foot of snow in Denver created travel chaos on Wednesday, March 23.
Hundreds of miles of highways were closed, officials restricted city driving to those with tire chains and the Denver International Airport (DIA) was forced to close for the first time in a decade.
Residents took to social media to explain their dismay at the disruptive storm when just the day before, temperatures soared to the 70-degree Fahrenheit mark. People flocked outside to enjoy the sunshine and warm air.
But March is Denver's snowiest month, historically, and this storm was a perfect example of how volatile spring systems can be.
Sunshine dominated the sky over Englewood, Colo., just south of Denver, on Tuesday, March 22. On Wednesday, a snowstorm slammed the region. (Twitter Photo/@foos_jason)
The storm resulted in the fifth largest calendar day snowfall in Denver during March, according to the National Weather Service.
More than 1,300 flights were canceled at DIA on Wednesday, leaving travelers stranded across the country. In the morning hours, the airport lost power as snow pummeled the city. More than 80,000 Xcel customers lost power at one point in the area.
Once conditions were deemed unsafe for departure and arrival traffic, passengers were stuck in the airport as roads to parking lots and other exit points were not cleared.
Some people took to sleeping on the floor, waiting until the airport reopened on Thursday morning to continue with their travels.
Delta and United announced a waiver for those impacted by the storm. Southwest extended their rebooking policy.
Ground travel was also restricted as officials encouraged Denver motorists to stay off roadways due to unsafe conditions. Multiple spin-outs were reported and jack-knifed trucks were spotted across major highways.
Interstates 70 and 25 closed at various points throughout the day due to numerous accidents and hazardous conditions. Parts of I-70 were still closed early Thursday morning.
Continued cleanup efforts might be hindered by the next storm set to move in on Friday night, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Rob Richards.
"A disturbance will move across the Denver area Friday night into Saturday and bring some snow," he said. "Accumulations of 1-3 inches are expected."

Travel will likely not be as severely impacted as the midweek storm, he said, as the snow will does not accumulate as well with higher daytime temperatures. Slick spots could develop during the evening, however.
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TIMELAPSE: Snowy morning commute in Denver, Colorado
A lone pedestrian trudges along the westbound lanes of Speer Boulevard as a spring storm packing high winds and wet, heavy snow blankets downtown Denver early Wednesday, March 23, 2016. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Slushy roads made for a tricky commute in Denver on Wednesday. (Twitter Photo/denverjoey)
As the area dealt with widespread power outages, some traffic lights stopped working in Denver on Wednesday. (Twitter Photo/@DenverPolice)
An all-wheel-drive vehicle struggles to keep traction while trying to climb the incline on 14th Street just south of the State Capitol as a spring storm packing high winds and wet, heavy snow blanketed Denver on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
More than 13 inches of snow piled up in Denver on Wednesday, March 23. (Instagram Photo/krn.rms)
Denver residents woke to heavy, wet snow on Wednesday morning. (Instagram Photo/thedrsklassyandfab)
A blanket of snow created a wintry scene in Denver in the first week of spring. (Instagram Photo/burningsaviour)
Poor visibility contributed to travel delays in the air and on the ground in Denver. (Instagram Photo/armando923)