Polis, CDOT officials warn against travel during severe weekend snowstorm

Editor's note: This story was originally published by Colorado Newsline and supplemented with local information. Read the original story here.

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Gov. Jared Polis said on Thursday that he has activated the Colorado National Guard ahead of a severe winter storm that is expected to drop 2 to 4 feet of snow on some areas along the northern Front Range this weekend.

About 50 members of the National Guard will be on call for search and rescue operations as the potentially historic snowstorm begins on Friday evening — but Polis and other state officials urged Coloradans to make such efforts unnecessary by staying at home unless there’s an emergency.

“You don’t want to be one of those people that might have to be searched down and rescued,” Polis said in a virtual briefing. “Much better to, if the snow starts coming down hard in your area, to stay at home and not go out.”

Expected snowfall totals in Denver range from 13 to 25 inches, according to the latest NWS forecast, with projections in Boulder and Estes Park reaching as high as 42 inches. Precipitation from the storm may transition into sleet or rain amid milder temperatures farther south and east.

[ Related: Longmont weather forecast: One more day to prepare as big snowstorm approaches ]

The Colorado Department of Transportation is preparing for difficult road conditions by strategically positioning snowplows and other heavy equipment to be deployed as needed. Officials said that the atypical nature of the storm — an “upslope” event that will see moisture collide with the base of the Rocky Mountains from the southeast — is allowing state resources to be diverted from higher elevations where they’re more often needed.

“This storm is a lot different than our routine high-country, mountain-pass storm that typically drops 2 or 3 feet,” said John Lorme, CDOT’s director of maintenance and operations and incident commander for this weekend’s storm. “I’m directing our resources from the high country, that I usually have up there, down here to the Front Range.”

CDOT executive director Shoshana Lew stressed that the lengthy duration of the storm will likely require “ongoing plow operations” throughout the weekend, making it important for Colorado drivers to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary.

“If you can stay safe in your home or another location, especially during the peak of the storm, please do so,” Lew said. “It gives our crews a greater ability to do their jobs.”

[ Related: City of Longmont prepares residents for snowstorm ]

Xcel Energy, Colorado’s largest electric utility, said on Wednesday that hundreds of employees and contractors will be on call to respond to power outages that may be caused by broken tree limbs or other severe weather impacts.

“We’re currently monitoring this storm and preparing our crews to handle potential outages due to heavy snowfall and ice,” Mark Newby, Xcel’s control center and trouble operations director in Colorado, said in a company press release. “We have a seasoned crew well versed in quickly and safely restoring power in the most extreme conditions and this storm is no different.”

Locally, all Longmont Power and Communications line crews are on standby and additional staff will be on call to quickly respond where needed, spokesperson Scott Rochat said in an email Thursday. 

“We have set up a recon team that can be deployed to check for downed electric lines,” Rochat said. “Several LPC staff members are ready to assist our outage call center, if needed, by taking calls remotely.

“Longmont has always had an excellent history of electric reliability and we work hard to keep it that way,” he said.” Any customers that experience an outage should call us at 303-651-8386 so that our crews can take care of the issue. Anyone who spots a downed power line should move away from it and anything touching it, and call us immediately at 303-651-8386. (Downed power lines can energize the ground up to 35 feet away!)”

In addition, Longmont Public Works and Natural Resources will assist LPC with plows if crews need access to any side streets, Rochat said. And LPC will work with Boulder County if it needs any help reaching customers in Lyons, he said. 

[ Related: Bracing for the big snow: Prep was buzz word Wednesday in advance of what could be historic storm ]

Polis said that while the storm is not expected to be as severe on the eastern plains, the Colorado Department of Agriculture is also “standing by” to assist farmers and ranchers if necessary.

Unlike last month’s severe cold snap, the upcoming storm is not expected to impact the supply of COVID-19 vaccines being shipped to Colorado or its neighbors. But thousands of vaccination appointments scheduled for this weekend in the Denver area are being postponed.

“Check with whoever your appointment is with,” Polis advised. “If they have canceled, don’t panic — your vaccine is still there. It’ll be rescheduled very quickly.”