Northern Colorado Slammed With Snow; Motorists Saved By Good Samaritan During Blizzard
WELD COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - A significant snowstorm dumped more than a foot of snow throughout Northern Colorado, with some areas seeing nearly 2 feet fall in less than 48 hours. The snow fell so rapidly, and the wind gusts grew so strong, that even a Colorado Department of Transportation snowplow driver accidentally drifted the plow in to a ditch. The plow was stuck in the median of I-25 until assistance arrived.
CBS4's Dillon Thomas covered the storm from the moment the first snowflakes fell in Estes Park. Thomas and CBS4 followed the storm from Estes Park to Wellington, from Fort Collins to Loveland and from Windsor to Greeley.
I-25 northbound to Cheyenne, Wyoming, was shut down due to whiteout conditions. Soon after, Highway 287 from Fort Collins to Laramie was closed as well.
In Windsor residents had to use shovels to dig out stuck vehicles from the front of their homes. Others fired up their snow blowers in order to move the slushy mess.
Large, heavy machinery was used to clear storefront parking lots with some mounds of snow larger than 25 feet tall.
Highway 34 from Loveland to Greeley was peppered with abandoned vehicles and spinouts. The exit ramp for 10th Street in Greeley was one of the worst stretches of main roadways in the region. Drifts quickly iced over, making rolling mounds of ice throughout the entire exit ramp. Multiple vehicles were stuck and sliding off the roadway while large 4WD SUVs were bottoming out bouncing between each section of ice.
Jon Faber spent his day trying to help people who were stranded in the storm.
"I'm out here helping people who need help and don't have adequate vehicles. Since I love my Jeep and it is very adequate I figured I would come out and help people," Faber said.
Faber used tools, chains and a shovel to dig multiple people out of their situations. One person told CBS4 she had been stuck on the exit ramp for more than an hour before Faber came to her rescue.
"I love helping people. People need help, a lot of people are going to be out here, so I might as well do something to help them out," Faber said.