Snowstorm Shuts Down I-70 First Time This Winter
SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- Colorado's high country was blasted by a snowstorm Wednesday night into Thursday. The severe winter weather conditions shut down Interstate 70 from Denver to Vail for several hours.
This was the first time this winter that all lanes of I-70 were closed because of severe weather in the mountains.
"These gusts came by so big I just had to stop all of a sudden. There was a turn and I wouldn't have made that turn," said driver Martin Gallardo.
Gallardo, like hundreds of other drivers, was trapped in Silverthorne once I-70 was closed. Visibility was down to just a few feet before the sun came up and strong winds kept blowing snow around.
The wind in Silverthorne was so strong it downed a traffic light. By late in the morning, dozens of cars were lined up at the on ramp, waiting for I-70 to reopen.
"I haven't been alone. People have lot of questions. It's pretty funny because you go and talk to a cop and 20 people ask you, 'What did he say?' A lot of people are anxious," said driver Jeanne Sauer.
Sauer and her family were headed to Denver International Airport and didn't know I-70 was closed.
"Then we got an email, waiting for the ramp to open, saying our flight was canceled," said Sauer.
There were multiple problems along many high country passes. Berthoud Pass was closed until early Thursday afternoon. Vail Pass was closed for avalanche blasting not once, but twice. Loveland Pass stayed closed all day.
