COLORADO, USA — The winter storm system that brought Denver its first-ever snow quall warning also left behind some impressive snow totals in parts of Colorado.
The windy snow that blew through the Denver metro area Tuesday morning was courtesy of a snow squall. In minutes, the Denver metro area went from a cloudy, windy morning to what looked like a full-fledged blizzard.
The snow squall warning issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) was the first one ever issued for Denver. NWS Boulder only started issuing snow squall warnings five years ago.
The wind played its part, delivering gusts up to 58 mph just after 7 a.m. at Denver International Airport, creating headaches at the airport all morning. According to FlightAware, more than 700 flights were delayed at the airport on Tuesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration said a ground stop due to snow and ice was lifted about 11 a.m. Tuesday, but delays persisted throughout the day.
The biggest snow report Tuesday in Colorado was 17 inches of snow at Snowmass Village in Colorado's central mountains.
Denver International Airport (DIA) received 2 inches of snow Tuesday in less than an hour.
Here are some snow totals for the storm, according to the National Weather Service:
- Snowmass Village - 17 inches
- Leadville - 11.5 inches
- Sawpit - 8.6 inches
- Craig - 6 inches
- East Vail - 6 inches
- Red Mountain Pass - 6 inches
- Security - 6 inches
- Steamboat Springs - 5.7 inches
- Lake City - 5 inches
- West Vail - 4.2 inches
- Pagosa Springs - 4.2 inches
- Rosita - 4 inches
- Skyway - 4 inches
- Coal Bank Pass - 4 inches
- Buena Vista - 3.5 inches
- Colorado Springs - 3.5 inches
- Rocky Ford - 3.5 inches
- Palmer Lake - 3 inches
- Telluride - 3 inches
- Camp Bird - 3 inches
- Molas Pass - 3 inches
- Swink - 3 inches
- Rockwood - 2.9 inches
- Rye - 2.8 inches
- Westcliffe - 2.8 inches
- Colorado City - 2.6 inches
- Edwards - 2.5 inches
- Crested Butte - 2.5 inches
- Oak Creek - 2.5 inches
- Stoner - 2.5 inches
- Divide - 2.4 inches
- Black Forest - 2 inches
- Denver International Airport (DIA) - 2 inches
- Castle Rock - 2 inches
- Gunnison - 2 inches
- Pitkin - 2 inches
- Cripple Creek - 2 inches
- Avon - 1.8 inches
- Walsenburg - 1.8 inches
- Manitou Springs - 1.7 inches
- Arvada - 1.7 inches
- Louisville - 1.5 inches
- South Denver - 1.5 inches
- El Jebel - 1.5 inches
- Eagle - 1.5 inches
- Crawford - 1.5 inches
- Calhan - 1.5 inches
- Woodland Park - 1.2 inches
- Air Force Academy - 1 inch
- Florissant - 1 inch
- Great Sand Dunes - 1 inch
- Lamar - 1 inch
FORECAST: Full forecast
CLOSURES: Full list of closures
ALERTS: Latest Colorado weather alerts
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Colorado chain and traction laws
The CDOT urged travelers to be aware of chain and traction law codes before heading out on the roadway:
- Code 18/Commercial Chain Law: Commercial vehicles and trucks must have chains. Vehicles without chains can often lose traction, causing traffic delays and sometimes road closures. For the safety of the traveling public, it's critical to use chains to comply with Colorado's chain law.
- Code 15/Passenger Traction Law: All passenger vehicles must have appropriate all-weather tires with 3/16-inch depth. Vehicles must have one of the following: winter tires, tires with mud/snow (M+S) designation, chains or alternative traction devices such as an autosock. 4WD and AWD vehicles must have winter tires or all-weather tires.
- Code 16/Passenger Chain Law: All passenger vehicles need chains, except for 4WD and AWD vehicles with all-weather tires with 3/16-inch tread depth.
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