DENVER — Denver's fleet of snowplow drivers will hit every residential street at least once during Thursday's snowstorm, according to Mayor Mike Johnston and the city's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI).
DOTI officials said 36 residential plows will launch at 3 a.m. Thursday and will continue through 3 p.m., at which point another crew will tag them out if necessary. Every residential street will be plowed at least one time within 24 hours, if not more often, DOTI told Denver7. Denver crews are ready to hit the roads as soon as snow moves in.
Those residential plows will shave off the top few inches of snow, but will not bring the street to bare pavement, the city said.
Agency officials also said the city is ready to deploy all 54 heavy snowplows across the city's major roads to clear snow and drop deicer.
"That means both, we can get to every residential street every 24 hours (and) every major arterial and collector about every 12 hours," Mayor Johnston said during a news conference Wednesday.
Denver uses smaller plows for protected bikeways, and for bike enthusiasts who are planning to brave the storm on two wheels, Johnston said the city is planning to address protected bike lanes "about 24 to 36 hours per pass."
Though city offices will be closed Thursday, Johnston said solid waste services will still be going forward "as possible."
A warming center will also be open at the Glenarm Recreation Center and immigrants staying in shelters who are next to be released won't be told to leave through the duration of the storm, he said.
"Most important of all, the St. Patrick's Day parade will still be happening on Saturday," the mayor said.
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said pavement will see a variety of impacts based on elevation, snowfall rates, and the time of day. State plows will focus on interstates and other major roads until the storm subsides, CDOT officials said. Crews will then plow other secondary roads with less traffic.
CDOT leaders said drivers around the Denver metro area should expect safety closures during this storm, as 8-16 inches of snow is forecasted for the Interstate 25 corridor. Interstate 70 from Golden to Vail and U.S. 285 from C-470 to Fairplay are the other main points of focus for crews.
“With snow expected to fall at a fast rate, visibility is likely to be compromised even during periods when snow is melting quickly. Warmer spring weather leading up to the storm also means that melting snow will freeze at night and contribute to slick conditions for travelers," said CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew.
Winds of 40 mph or more could create white-out conditions at times, according to the agency. Visibility and wind speed will determine if a closure is needed.
The message from city officials?
"Stay off the roads, if you can. Don't drive. If you don't need to go somewhere, please don't," said DOTI executive director Amy Ford.
Those wanting to brave the storm on their bikes should be prepared to ride in a shared lane condition, she said during Wednesday's news conference.
"In fact, be prepare maybe that you even move into our trail systems. (That) might be a better and safer place for you to actually ride," she added.
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CDOT may preemptively close roads to reduce the probability of crashes and increased traffic.
"During a safety closure, drivers may be stopped on the interstate, turned around or directed to an exit," CDOT said.
While snowplow drivers will do their best to treat streets, CDOT recommends Coloradans stay off the roads if possible. The state is asking employees who can to work remotely.
With rain in the forecast before the snow, CDOT said it will not pre-treat some streets because the pre-treatment will get washed away. However in the areas where black ice is expected, crews will pre-treat those roads.
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Colorado State Patrol warned that the more remote and rural road that a driver gets stranded on, the longer it will take for crews to get to them. But plow operators will stop and help non-emergent cases.
In the high country, there is a potential for avalanche mitigation around Loveland Pass, Berthoud Pass and the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel.
Be prepared for safety closures as CDOT and Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) crews conduct avalanche mitigation operations. They said crews will try to do this at times that won't affect traffic as much as possible.
"We want to control these avalanches and bring them down on our own terms, rather than having them run naturally," CAIC said.
If you do encounter an avalanche, CAIC recommended you stay put inside your car and don't drive through the avalanche.
"You're much safer in your vehicle than out walking around. Wait for help if you can do that," CAIC said.
The most important thing
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