Much of Denver metro area dealing with more than a foot of snow

As a snowstorm continued across Colorado, authorities were urging motorists not to travel Tuesday.  Many communities across the metro area were reporting more than a foot of snow as morning gave way to early afternoon.

Government offices announced closures or delayed starts across the metro area, and the Regional Transportation District announced possible delays. School districts also announced closures, though many students were already off this week for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Meanwhile, amid a busy holiday travel week, more than 460 flights had been canceled at Denver International Airport as of the early morning hours, the airport reported on Twitter.

Snow piled up overnight Monday into Tuesday, with the National Weather Service calling for much more accumulation into Tuesday afternoon. A total of 10-18 inches of snow was being projected for the Denver metro area, according to the weather service. Heavier snow was projected to hit the Eastern Plains, which was under a blizzard warning.

The Colorado Department of Transportation called driving conditions “treacherous” in a news release as the morning rush hour got underway. I-70 was closed in both directions from east of Denver to Burlington.  The latest information on road closures and conditions is available at cotrip.org

Reports of more than a foot of snow were common throughout the metro area, as of late morning, the NWS reported.  Here are some of those reported snowfall totals:

Arvada: 12.5 inches

Centennial: 13.5 inches

Englewood: 11.5 inches

Elizabeth: 16 inches

Littleton: 12.5 inches

Castle Pines: 11.6 inches

Parker: 13 inches

Denver: 11 inches

Northglenn: 13 inches

Castle Rock: 12 inches

Ken Caryl: 15.8 inches