IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. — Thanksgiving weekend travelers on Interstate 70 encountered icy conditions that led to multiple crashes, including two major pileups near Glenwood Springs and Gypsum involving dozens of vehicles Sunday morning.
Colorado State Patrol (CSP) said a 30-car pile-up near milepost 119 in Garfield County east of Glenwood Springs shut down roads for hours starting around 11:45 a.m. A second pile-up involving about 20 cars in Eagle County west of Gypsum was reported around 11:30 a.m., which also caused delays for drivers. CSP said no one was hurt in the crashes.
“As soon as I see a little bit of snow, I put the four-wheel drive on just in case," said Abraham Alvarado, who was stopping for gas in Idaho Springs during his drive from Wichita back home to Avon.
Other travelers said while driving in snowy conditions is very common for Coloradans during the winter, they make an effort to slow down and be cautious.
"It’s Colorado so we know it snows every year. So not bad at all," Alvarado said.
Owner of Mountain Recovery towing company Charlie Stubblefield said with the first significant snowfall of the season comes unprepared drivers. He said his team responded to numerous slide-offs throughout the weekend, many involving drivers with worn tires.
"It can get unsafe really fast out there," Stubblefield said. "Before you go out on those roads, you got to make sure you have the proper tires or the proper tread depth."
He said drivers should also remember to keep essential in their cars, like food, water, blankets and phone chargers, in case of emergencies.
Adair Christensen with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said, around 20 snow plow drivers helped clear snow on I-70 from Denver to Grand Junction on Sunday.
"Our snow plow drivers are working around the clock, 24 hours a day during the storm system," Christensen said. "It's not a huge snow accumulation, but that snow falling and the cooler temperatures can make the roads slick on your travels back home."
The winter weather officially broke Denve's snowless streak, but the storm was even more beneficial for ski resorts that were hurting for some powder. Arapahoe Basin reported seven inches of snow, while Keystone, Breckenridge and Winter Park all got at least 5 inches. Copper Mountain saw 4 inches.
CDOT is reminding drivers that freezing temperatures overnight into Monday morning could create icy conditions on roadways.
