Blizzard winds down, I-70 reopens, other Colorado roads still closed
As the 2023 Christmas blizzard winds down, Interstate 70 in eastern Colorado has again opened to the Kansas border while other roads on the northeast plains remain closed due to blowing snow and reduced visibility.
All or portions of I-70 closed at times during the height of blizzard conditions Tuesday. As of Wednesday morning at 4:30 a.m., the road was open and Colorado Department of Transportation plows were actively patrolling the major route in Colorado.
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Elsewhere in northeast Colorado, highways and local roads remained closed while crews worked to clear the corridors. Interstate 76 from Brush to the Nebraska line was among the highways closed in the northeast.
CDOT reports the following highways remain closed due to adverse weather:
- I-76 eastbound from Brush to Nebraska
- US 6 eastbound from Sterling to Nebraska
- US 24 both directions from Seibert to Kansas
- US 34 both directions Brush to Nebraska
- US 36 both directions from Last Chance to Kansas
- US 138 eastbound from Sterling to Julesburg
- US 385 in both directions from Cheyenne Wells to Nebraska
- CO 59 in both directions from Haxtun to Yuma
- CO 59 in both directions from Seibert to Cope
- CO 61 in both directions from Otis to Sterling
- CO 63 in both directions from Akron to Anton
- CO 71 in both directions from Limon to Brush
- CO 86 in both directions from Kiowa to I-70
Shelters for travelers are open in three locations:
- Burlington Community Center, 340 South 14th Street, Burlington
- Yuma Community Center, 421 East 2nd Avenue, Yuma
- Cheyenne Wells Community Center, 425 South 7th Street, Cheyenne Wells
While a blizzard warning spanned multiple states throughout Tuesday, only eight Colorado counties remained in the warning Wednesday morning. Those counties were expecting to see the remaining warnings expire at 5:00 a.m.
Wednesday’s forecast calls for greatly improved conditions as winds calm and temperatures rise toward the 40s. Gusts Tuesday approached 60 miles per hour.
As roads reopen, travel conditions may remain hazardous. Drivers are encouraged to slow down and leave extra space between vehicles ahead.
Check the latest road conditions by calling 5-1-1, or visit https://COTrip.org.
