DENVER – A wintry mix that fell across the Front Range Wednesday forced several schools, businesses and government sites to close early because of ice, and roads and sidewalks are slick across the area.
The National Weather Service in Boulder and law enforcement and emergency departments from Boulder, Larimer County, Loveland and Broomfield, among others, warned people to stay off the roads and to be careful on sidewalks and driveways, as many are ice-covered.
1/19 12:11 PM: ⚠Slick roads and reduced visibilities continue across much of the urban corridor from freezing drizzle. Freezing drizzle will gradually decrease into the late afternoon; however, travel impacts are expected to continue.#COwx pic.twitter.com/IyMB4JYrlu
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) January 19, 2022
School impacts
The Boulder Valley School District canceled all after-school activities for Wednesday, but schools were released at normal times. BVSD said it would operate on a two-hour delay Thursday. Morning school-age care programs, morning half-day preschool, morning athletic practices, morning classes at Boulder TEC and Arapahoe Ridge and breakfast at all schools are canceled.
St. Vrain Valley Schools also canceled all after-school activities for Wednesday, as well as community schools and wraparound childcare programs. But community schools are staying open until all children can get picked up, the district said. The district will also operate on a two-hour delay Thursday.
The Poudre School District canceled extracurricular activities and athletics after school, but students are being released as normal. Bus routes might be delayed, the district said.
27J Schools, Adams 12, Westminster Public Schools, Mapleton Public Schools, Brighton School District 27-J, and Jeffco Public Schools all announced that they will operate on a two-hour delay Thursday morning.
Colorado State University closed at 3 p.m. because of the ice across campus. Classes that were not already in session as of 12:30 p.m. were canceled. All in-person, hybrid and remote classes, labs, events, work activities and meetings that begin before 10 a.m. are canceled Thursday.
Regis University also closed at 3 p.m. because of poor road conditions. But classes scheduled for 3 p.m. or later are being held remotely.
Current closings and delays are updated regularly on our school closings and delays page.
Weather conditions affecting roads
A three-vehicle rollover crash shut down northbound Interstate 225 near Illiff in Aurora around 6:30 p.m. Two lanes reopened by 6:48 p.m. There is no word on injuries at this time.
A separate weather-related incident in Aurora occurred around the same time. An Aurora police vehicle was side-swiped by another vehicle while the officer was investigating a unrelated crash at 6th and Potomac. The officer was injured and transported to the hospital, but his injuries were not life-threatening and he will be OK, police tweeted.
While investigating a separate crash at 6th & Potomac, our officers car got side-swiped by another vehicle. Officer was transported to hospital w/ minor injuries, thankfully he’ll be ok.
— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD) January 20, 2022
Please #SlowDown. The roads have become icy & slick. Your life, & ours, depend on it. pic.twitter.com/QfDDdNkmIi
Boulder police said they advised people to stay off the roads if possible. As of 1 p.m., officers there had responded to 17 crashes on Wednesday. The department has been on accident alert for the day, as have other law enforcement agencies across the north metro area.
“It’s slick out there and won’t get any better,” tweeted North Metro Fire. “Please stay off the roads if possible, give extra space between cars if driving and use caution on the sidewalks.”
Poudre Fire said first responders have been responding to falls on driveways, sidewalks and stairs throughout the day.
Other impacts
The Disaster Assistance Center for Marshall Fire victims in Lafayette closed at 1 p.m. because of the poor weather conditions. It is set to reopen Thursday at 9 a.m.
Click here for the latest on the weather forecast. Find current traffic conditions here. Get 24/7 weather and radar updates streaming on the free Denver7+ app.
