The Colorado Department of Transportation is warning of potentially dangerous conditions on I-70 this weekend with more than a foot of snow in some areas, especially west of the Continental Divide.
Portions of the I-70 Mountain Corridor, including Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnels, Vail Pass and US 40 over Berthoud Pass may see up to a foot of snow. Northern mountain passes, such as Rabbit Ears on US 40, could see up to two feet of snow.
Winds are also forecast to exceed 50 mph, which is expected to make conditions more extreme, with blowing snow reducing visibility and potentially causing deep drifts across roadways.
Denver7 | Weather
Heavy, blowing snow will impact travel to ski areas in Colorado this weekend
There's a lot of excitement though, especially for those that live and breathe winter sports.
Loveland Ski Area’s parking lot was relatively full on Friday morning with those eager to get a head start on the fresh snow.
“There's no substitute for even a little bit of powder like this. It really is a good day,” said skier Bob Claggett.
Loveland Ski Area says it has received over 20 inches of snow in the last five days. It’s a welcome sight after a slow start to the Colorado ski season.
“It was no easy feat for our teams to get things ready to go. You know, we struggled in the beginning with some warmer temperatures,” said Loveland Ski Area spokesperson Loryn Roberson.
Friday marked Ethan Moskow’s first time hitting the slopes at Loveland Ski Resort after making the move from the Northeast.
“I’m so used to ice [on the East Coast], and that's about it,” he laughed.
But for the start of the season, Colorado’s terrain felt a little too familiar for Moskow.
“This is nice to get a little fresh snowfall, a little bit of powder on top of the the ice and whatnot,” he said.
This weekend’s storm is expected to dump another 13 to 15 inches on the slopes near Loveland Pass.
Ski resorts further west, like Steamboat, could see up to 30 inches of fresh powder by Sunday.
“We are so, so excited to see all of this snow. Obviously, we are known for the champagne powder starting now, and having that kind of pushback and just a little bit of a dry fall, we're stoked to see this,” said Steamboat Ski Resort spokesperson Laura Kuczkowski.
By Friday afternoon, skiers and snowboarders started to see some of that heavier snowfall.
“Yeah, well, I knew the visibility wasn't going to be great but there was fresh snow, so that's always welcome. as long as we're wearing our goggles, we can still see pretty well,” said Claggett.
CDOT says drivers considering heading to the ski slopes this weekend should ensure they are prepared and may want to consider reserving lodging as evening travel is going to be especially impacted.
“We love the snow. You know, this is what we're in the business for, is these powder days, and it's, you know, it seems like winter is here to stay, which we're really excited about,” said Roberson.
