Colorado National Guard activated, disaster emergency declared for severe winter storm

DENVER (KDVR) — On Thursday, Gov. Jared Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency due to an incoming winter storm that is projected to drop feet of snow over the Eastern Plains and upward of a foot of snow in metro Denver.

In the order, Polis also authorized unarmed Colorado National Guard members to provide winter storm response support. The declaration activates Colorado's State Emergency Operation Center and the State Emergency Operations Plan, in addition to directing the Office of Emergency Management to take "all necessary and appropriate State actions to assist the affected jurisdictions."

The order also allows the OEM to mobilize state resources and to make contracts and awards using Emergency Procurement Procedures.

"The storm is expected to develop throughout the day, and this declaration is necessary to have resources in place to support rescue efforts around the state as the storm worsens into the evening," Polis wrote in his disaster declaration.

Because of the incoming storm, both Friday and Saturday are Pinpoint Weather Alert Days. According to FOX31 Pinpoint Weather Meteorologist Alden German, the storm track moved more north-westerly than first anticipated, leading to higher snow totals on Friday and Saturday.

The strongest wave of snowfall is anticipated Friday morning, with snowfall rates of over an inch of snow falling each hour. The Palmer Divide could see snow falling at rates of up to 2 inches per hour overnight Friday into Saturday. T

he National Weather Service Boulder posted at 4 p.m. on Thursday, noting another 36 hours left for snowfall in portions of Colorado as the storm progressed.

However, the highest impacts for the Denver metro area are expected mid-afternoon on Friday, according to the NWS Boulder. The evening commute will be heavily impacted by the winter storm.

The Colorado Department of Transportation told motorists to avoid traveling east of Interstate 35 and south of Interstate 76 to the New Mexico and Kansas state lines into Saturday.

“The storm may look like it is leaving later this afternoon, but the next round is expected to be worse than what we have already seen,” said John Lorme, CDOT director of maintenance and operations, in a press release Thursday. “Drivers should be prepared for long-term closures and should avoid driving in the most impacted areas of the state for the duration of the storm.”

Currently, Denver International Airport is forecasted to receive 8-12 inches of snow during the storm on Friday into Saturday. If the storm drops over 9 inches of snow, that would be the first time since Nov. 14, 1994, that Denver has seen 9 inches of snow in one storm, according to German.

Additionally, the state government offices in the Front Range will be moved to remote work where possible on Friday.