A monster winter storm, the biggest to hit the Front Range in years, is causing havoc across the region. Xcel Energy is reporting over 30,000 customers without power as of Thursday morning.
Nearly an inch of rain pummeled the area on Wednesday, shattering daily precipitation records. As temperatures dropped, the rain turned to heavy, wet snow, accumulating at a staggering rate – up to 1 inch per hour in Denver and exceeding 2 inches per hour in the foothills.
This wet, heavy snow is wreaking havoc. Tree limbs are snapping under the weight, leading to widespread power outages. Xcel’s outage map is dotted with hundreds of incidents, concentrated in the Denver metro area and stretching along the Front Range.
The bad news? The storm isn’t letting up anytime soon. Residents should be prepared for continued power outages and treacherous conditions throughout the day.
“We are definitely looking at some significant snow for Denver and west. As you head west of Interstate 25, the snow totals will only increase,” said First Alert Meteorologist Alex Lehnert. “We’re looking at the possibility of as much as 3 feet of snow into some of our Front Range mountains, into Summit County possibly as well.”
