Springs Mostly Spared, but Travelers Should Use Caution
By The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Dec. 22–THE SNOW IS GONE — and it mostly missed Colorado Springs — but it is still causing travel headaches on the beginning of a long holiday weekend.
According to the National Weather Service, snowfall totals ranged from 2 inches in Canon City to 4 in Monument and 5 in Woodland Park. The Weather Service reported 5 to 8 inches across the Denver area.
Just a trace fell across most of Colorado Springs, and most roads were clear this morning.
Colorado Springs plows have been out since 5 p.m. Friday, plowing and applying anti-skid material to 45 main streets.
About 9:30 a.m., Interstate 25 reopened at the New Mexico border after being closed overnight, as did U.S. Highway 287/385 at Springfield.
But highways remained icy in every direction. The Colorado Department of Transportation reported both I-25 and I-70 were icy, as is U.S. Highway 24 to east and west. I-70 was shut down around mid-morning at Idaho Springs because of multiple crashes, as was Colorado Highway 470 around Denver, between Santa Fe Drive and Kipling Parkway. The highways reopened after noon.
Chain requirements were in effect for commercial vehicles on many mountain passes.
For those braving the highways for the ski resorts, a powder day awaits. All resorts reported new snow this morning: 7 inches at Breckenridge, 4 at Keystone, 2 at Arapahoe Basin, 5 at Copper Mountain, 3 at Loveland and Winter Park, 4 at Vail and 8 at Monarch.
Forecasters expect a sunny and cold day in Colorado Springs, with a high of just 26. Steady winds could make it feel much colder, with a wind chill between 0 and 10 degrees.
The weather could hinder holiday travel again before Christmas. A storm system is expected to hit the mountains tomorrow afternoon, though there is only a 20 percent chance of light snow in Colorado Springs.
LATEST HOMICIDE TIES CITY RECORD Colorado Springs police have determined a man found shot to death in a truck in southeast Colorado Springs Friday was murdered.
The man — identified only as a Hispanic — was found around 12:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Murray Hill Apartments, slumped over in a pickup truck.
No further information was available this morning. Police expect to release more details today.
It is the 28th homicide of the year in Colorado Springs, which ties the record of 28 in 1991, a year that saw a surge in gang violence here.
HOLIDAY EVENTS If you need a break from last-minute shopping, there are plenty of holiday events to take your mind off the material side of Christmas:
-At the Fountain branch of the Pikes Peak Library district, Mrs. Claus tells stories to children at 10 a.m. The branch is at 230 S. Main Street.
-Teas and Tours, Rock Ledge Ranch, 30th Street and Gateway Road. Admission is $12 to $15, and reservations are required. Tour the ranch decorated for a family celebration in the 1880s with treats and recipes from the cooks. It begins at 2 p.m.
-”A Dozen Ways to Say Holiday Magic,” in downtown Colorado Springs, sponsored by downtown80903.com. Activities include Santa’s workshop, live music and a variety of promotions and celebrations hosted by shops and restaurants. Runs every day Wednesday through Saturday, through today.
-Seven Falls Holiday Lighting, 2850 S. Cheyenne Canyon Road. Over 100,000 lights, 30 special displays and multi-colored lights highlighting the falls. Admission is $4, with proceeds benefit Christmas Unlimited. It runs through Dec. 30, 5-9:30 p.m.
-”The Puppet Maker: A Story of Christmas,” plays at 6 p.m. today at Village Seven Presbyterian Church, 4055 Nonchalant Circle South. tickets are $6.
-The Tri-Lakes Music Association presents “The Joy of Christmas” at 2 and 7 p.m. today at Lewis-Palmer High School, 1300 Higby Road, in Monument. It’s free.
-The Colorado Springs Philharmonic presents “Christmas Classics and Carols,” with conductor Lawrence Leighton Smith, at 8 p.m. today and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Pikes Peak Center, 190 S. Cascade Ave. Tickets are $24 to $43.
-Santa in Bancroft Park, from noon to 5 p.m. today. The park is at 24th Street and West Colorado Avenue, and the event s free.
-”A Christmas Carol,” by the Fine Arts Center Theatre Company. Performances are 8 p.m. today and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St. Tickets are $26 to $31.
-TheatreWorks presents “The Santaland Diaries” at 2 and 7:30 p.m. today and 4 p.m. Sunday, at the Dusty Loo Bon Vivant Theatre on the campus of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 3955 Cragwood Drive. Tickets are $12 to $25.
SPORTS HAPPENINGS There are plenty of sports to distract would-be shoppers, too:
Air Force hosts Colorado Christian in men’s basketball at 2 p.m. on 740 AM. In college bowl games, Cincy plays Southern Mississippi at 11 a.m. on ESPN2, Nevada faces New Mexico at 2:30 on ESPN, and BYU faces UCLA at 6 on ESPN. Dallas visits Carolina at 6 on the NFL Network (Comcast 177). In women’s basketball Tennessee is at Stanford at 8:30 on FSN. In the NBA, Houston is at Chicago at 6:30 on WGN. The men’s college basketball highlights are: Georgetown at Memphis, 10 a.m., ESPN; UCLA at Michigan, noon, CBS; Tennessee at Xavier, noon, ESPN; Florida at Ohio State, 2 p.m., CBS; Stanford vs. Texas Tech (at Dallas), 2:30 p.m., ESPN2; North Texas at Denver, 4 p.m., FSN; Texas vs. Michigan State (at Auburn Hills, Mich.), 4:30 p.m., ESPN2; Illinois vs. Missouri (at St. Louis), 6:30p.m., ESPN2; and Colorado at Colorado State, 7 p.m., The mtn. (Comcast 167)
New Mexico plays at the Colorado Eagles in hockey at 7 on Altitude. The PBR rodeo is on Versus at 6.
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Copyright (c) 2007, The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo.
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