Brutal blizzard grinds I-70 travel to a halt

SILVERTHORNE – No vacancy signs are all the rage here this evening as motorists seek shelter from a brutal blizzard that paralyzed Interstate 70 in both directions between Vail and Idaho Springs.

Swirling snow, sketchy roads and limited visibility added up to dreadful driving conditions for throngs of travelers who were forced to pull over and recalculate their plans when the interstate shut down.

“I live in Vail and there's no way I'm getting home tonight,” a man in snow-soaked clothes told the clerk at the front desk of the Luxury Inn & Suites after slogging his way through the parking lot.

Pitkin County authorities sent out an alert asking residents to refrain from driving unless absolutely necessary due to the poor visibility and heavy snow raining down throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.

Basalt resident Kale LaCroux planned to wheel down to the Front Range tonight so he could catch a flight tomorrow from Denver to Clearwater, Fla., where he is getting married this weekend. But he's stuck in his Willits home.

“Even the best laid plans can’t compete with the force of Mother Nature and the unpredictability of Colorado’s mountain weather,” said LaCroux. “As if I didn’t have enough to worry about this week of my wedding, now I have to wait out the winter storm and CDOT’s ability to make I-70 passable yet again, so I can (hopefully) get to the airport on time. And to think that I woke up today with thoughts that revolved around making sure everything is in place for our perfect wedding, then making sure everything else in my life and at work was appropriately sorted so that I could leave town with a clear conscience and focus to enjoy our perfect wedding and honeymoon. And just when I thought I had it all figured out, she struck again, once again leaving me stranded here waiting, worrying, wondering, and feeling like Florida is even that much farther away from me and my beautiful bride to be. But in the words of a wise man, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and if it doesn’t, then hopefully you learn next time not to count on travel plans in snowy Colorado! Your groom might be delayed, but come hell or blowing snow I’m on my way honey!"

He'll have to wake up early but there's a chance LaCroux might make his scheduled 12:50 p.m. flight on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning in the area until 6 a.m. tomorrow.

In addition to the Interstate 70 closure from Vail to Idaho Springs that has stopped commuters from passing through the heavily traveled Eisenhower and Johnson memorial tunnels, U.S. 40 at Berthoud Pass, U.S. 6 at Loveland Pass, U.S. 40 east between Kremling and Steamboat Springs, southbound Highway 91 between Leadville and Copper Mountain and a section of U.S. 297 that links Colorado and Wyoming are also off limits.

River Name / Location	Stream flow, ft3/s	Gage height ft
Gore Creek
At Upper Station, Near I-70 Twin Bridges	n/a	4 ft
Booth Creek	n/a	4 ft
Abv Red Sandstone Creek At Vail	190	6 ft
At Mouth Near Minturn	223	7 ft
Beaver Creek
At Avon	21	2 ft
Lake Creek
Near Edwards	79	1 ft
Cross Creek
Near Minturn	100	4 ft
Homestake Creek
At Gold Park	127	5 ft
Eagle River
East Fork Eagle River Near Climax	n/a	2 ft
At Red Cliff	30	3 ft
Near Minturn	234	4 ft
Wastewater Treatment Plant At Avon	671	5 ft
Below Gypsum	826	5 ft
Colorado River
Near Kremmling	404	4 ft
Near Dotsero	1,630	3 ft
Below Glenwood Springs	3,140	5 ft
Near Cameo	3,740	6 ft
Below Grand Valley Div Nr Palisade	2,080	5 ft
Near Colorado-utah State Line	4,120	4 ft
Near Cisco, Ut	4,060	3 ft
At Lees Ferry, Az	12,100	9 ft
Near Grand Canyon, Az	12,200	9 ft
Yuma Main Canal Ww At Yuma, Az	987	10 ft
Roaring Fork River
Abv Lost Man Cr Near Aspen	n/a	n/a ft
Ab Difficult C Nr Aspen	53	1 ft
Near Aspen	78	1 ft
Near Emma	476	6 ft
At Glenwood Springs	1,160	3 ft
Hunter Creek
Near Aspen	56	2 ft
At Aspen	47	4 ft
Frying Pan River
Near Ruedi	113	2 ft
Crystal River
Abv Avalanche Crk, Near Redstone	540	2 ft
Arkansas River
Ef Arkansas R At Us Highway 24, Nr Leadville	47	3 ft
Near Leadville	86	5 ft
Below Empire Gulch Near Malta	156	3 ft
Below Granite	453	4 ft
Near Nathrop	451	4 ft
At Parkdale	464	3 ft