Thursday, November 17, 2016

Winter Storm Argos Causes 20-Car Pileup In Colorado; Highway Closures Reported

Sean Breslin & Ryan Phillips
Published: November 17,2016
Parts of the Intermountain West were clobbered by a heavy round of snow – the first of the season, for some – as Winter Storm Argos marched across the region and toward the Plains.
The heavy snowfall led to a closure of Interstate 70 in multiple locations in Colorado, the state's Department of Transportation told ABC 7 in Denver. Numerous crashes were reported, and rules requiring extra traction for vehicles were put in place ahead of the storm, the report added.
One such crash was a 20-car pileup along I-70 in Evergreen that closed the road in both directions indefinitely, according to CBS Denver. It wasn't immediately known if there were any injuries in that collision.
(MORE: Check the Forecast for Winter Storm Argos)
Evergreen FireRescue @efr_co
EFR, CSP and Jeffco working a 20 car MVA west bound I-70 at the 248. I-70 closed both directions

Another pileup was reported near Clear Creek Canyon, also along I-70, after roads became slick Thursday afternoon, KDVR.com reported. This pileup involved 13 vehicles, and the interstate was also closed in the area while authorities worked to clean up the crash. Injuries were reported, but the severity of those injuries was not known, the report added.
A third major pileup occurred earlier in the day in the westbound lanes of I-70, closing the freeway from Georgetown to Silverthorne, KDVR also said.
Snow in the Denver area is also causing problems at Denver International Airport, with delays reported into the evening hours on Thursday. The Denver International Airport's latest statement said the airport is running smoothly despite the storm. However, some flight times may have been impacted or may be delayed as crews work to keep planes free of ice.
United Airlines spokesperson Megan McCarthy told weather.com in a phone interview Thursday night that some United Airlines flights had been delayed due to an equipment issue from one of the company's outside vendors. While some flights will be delayed as the equipment issue is sorted out, she said any delays on Thursday were not due to the winter storm conditions.
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Chris Tomer ✔ @chris_tomer
BIG Pileup on I-70 near Beaver Brook/El Rancho...Multiple vehicles....Take a look at this:

In parts of Wyoming and Montana, at least a foot of snow has already fallen. In Wyoming, the heavy snowfall forced authorities to close a 50-mile stretch of I-80 between Laramie and Cheyenne Thursday morning. Travel conditions were lousy on most state roads, and officials advised against any travel in central and northern Wyoming that wasn't absolutely necessary, the Associated Press reported.
In Colorado, Independence Pass was closed for the season, according to the AP. The pass, which reaches an elevation of 12,095 feet, remained open more than a week and a half longer than scheduled, the AP also reported. It's expected to remain closed until late May.
Argos comes at a time when the Rockies desperately needs snowfall. In a separate report from the AP, experts worried that a lack of snow this season could cause reservoirs to run low with less snowmelt in the warmer months. Many ski resorts also postponed their openings because of the lack of snow and temperatures that didn't allow for the production of manmade snow, the report added.
Brian Domonkos, supervisor of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Colorado snow survey, told the AP the slow start to the snow season means it's unlikely Colorado's mountains will be able to catch up to season-long averages.
"I wouldn't call it likely, no," he told the AP. "But it's not out of the realm of possibility."
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