Snow increasing this morning. Expect snowpacked roads this afternoon making slow & treacherous travel. #cowx pic.twitter.com/Pp74jdfOXZ
Airlines have canceled nearly 500 flights at Denver International Airport because of snow that's expected to continue through Tuesday. That's about a third of all flights for the day.
School was canceled Monday in some parts of western Colorado, including Grand Junction and Aspen, and the Eastern Plains. In El Paso County, county offices are closed because of the snow and the Defense Department is only requiring "mission essential" soldiers and civilian employees to report to work.
More snow is also expected in the mountains, where a foot or more of snow already fell over the weekend. That's raised the risk of avalanches, especially in the central and southwestern mountains.
And just in time for the storm, the Colorado Department of Transportation launched a tool over the weekend that allows travelers to track where plows have already cleared the roads.
"This helps you make some good decisions on your own about where to drive and when to drive," said CDOT spokeswoman Amy Ford.
Total snowfall is expected to be six to 12 inches for Denver, with most of the snow falling from Monday afternoon through the evening. It's expected to taper off on Tuesday.
