Winter storm moves east as Colorado faces blizzard conditions

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- A powerful winter storm, that blanketed the western United States with snow and ice over the weekend, is slamming the rest of the country this week as blizzard conditions stretch east into Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and the Dakotas.

The storm blasted Colorado on Tuesday as blizzard conditions shut down most of the roads in the Northeast Plains due to white-out conditions.

At Denver International Airport, hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed because of heavy snow and winds gusting up to 60 mph east of Denver, combined with 6 to 10 inches of snow and temperatures in the lower 30s.

The airport posted a photo Tuesday showing a plane on the ice-covered tarmac. "Winter's back and the wind tagged along! Due to adverse weather, our ice skating rink is closed today. Stay safe and warm," Denver International Airport tweeted.

The National Weather Service in Boulder advised motorists to avoid any travel to the northeast, east and southeast of Denver due to "blizzard conditions for the northeast Plains today through tonight." All roadways into and out of northeast Colorado.

A map shows most of the roads across northeast Colorado -- including interstate 70 and 76 -- are closed for the rest of the day because of whiteout conditions and high-wind warnings. The National Weather Service warned drivers to avoid the eastern Plains due to "life-threatening" conditions.

The Colorado State Patrol said "everything north of I-70 is closed," advising drivers to stay put and find shelter.

Wyoming is getting hit with snow and high winds as residents are urged to stay indoors. The Cheyenne area is expected to get between 4 inches and 6 inches of snow, while residents in northern Laramie County can expect between 8 or 9 inches, according to the National Weather Service, which says blizzard conditions with winds up to 60 mph in northeast Wyoming could continue through late Wednesday.

"Travel could be very difficult to impossible," the Hazardous Weather Outlook report said. "Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle."

Central Nebraska is also under a blizzard warning through Thursday morning with snow accumulations of 10 to 20 inches and winds gusting as high as 55 mph. The National Weather Service says travel in parts of Nebraska will be nearly impossible with significantly reduced visibility.

A blizzard warning is also in effect for South Dakota where heavy snow and gusty winds are forecast for the western South Dakota plains with winds gusting to over 50 mph and more than a foot of snow expected through Thursday.