FOX31 Denver

Extreme cold, hundreds of flights canceled after storm

Morgan Whitley, Colleen Flynn, and Lanie Lee Cook

DENVER (KDVR) — The dangerous subzero arctic cold front has arrived in Colorado. Thursday is a Pinpoint Weather Alert Day as snow continues to fall and wind chills could drop temperatures to 50 degrees below zero.

Temperatures began to plummet Wednesday evening as the Pinpoint Weather team forecast. Denver’s temperatures will drop to about negative 14 degrees by 8 a.m. Thursday. If you must leave your house, wear extra layers and drive slowly.

The wind chill is expected to approach minus 30 in Denver and minus 50 on the Eastern Plains.

This story is no longer being updated on Thursday night. Check the Pinpoint Weather forecast for the latest weather information.

Live updates: Subzero temps, wind chill slams Colorado

6:57 p.m. More than 700 flights have been canceled at Denver International Airport between Thursday and Friday, FlightAware shows. 587 flights were canceled on Thursday and as of Thursday night, 131 flights were canceled for Friday.

5:54 p.m. About 50 Colorado National Guard servicemembers are supporting warming centers at the Denver Coliseum, Denver YMCA, East Boulder Community Center and other locations in the metro.

5:48 p.m. Elbert County is on accident alert. They county Office of Emergency Management cited “extremely slick” roads that are causing crashes.

5:29 p.m. Thornton is on accident alert.

5 p.m. The 24-hour warming center at Denver Coliseum is at capacity. Guests are being transported to the Downtown Denver YMCA. The Wellington Webb building at 201 W. Colfax Ave. also opened at 3 p.m. and will accommodate up to 100 people overnight. All three warming centers will remain open through noon on Saturday, Dec. 24. All three are open to walk-up or drop-off guests.

3:59 p.m. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, these are the roads that are closed in the state:

3:00 p.m. DIA is reporting 560 cancellations and 534 delays.

1:35 p.m. There have been 543 cancellations and 447 delays at DIA.

12:08 p.m. At least 500 flights have been canceled out of DIA and 355 have been delayed.

9:58 a.m. DIA is reporting 161 delays and 467 cancellations.

9:31 a.m. DIA has seen its coldest temperature in more than three decades. Details on the record-tying degree.

8:30 a.m. The Outlets at Castle Rock will have a delayed opening at noon.

8:13 a.m. Temperatures at DIA continue to drop. The airport is now reporting temps are at 22 degrees below zero.

8:10 a.m. Power has been fully restored to Windsor, Severance and West Greeley.

8:02 a.m. Poudre Valley REA announced that all power will be restored by 9 a.m.

7:33 a.m. Temperatures dropped to 20 degrees below zero at DIA marking the coldest temp in 30 years.

7:25 a.m. Power is being rerouted to customers in Windsor, Severance, and West Greeley. Currently, 2,250 customers remain without power.

7:21 a.m. CDOT has reopened both directions of I-70 between Limon and Burlington to traffic.

7:21 a.m. According to DIA, 63 flights are delayed and 342 are canceled.

7:20 a.m. The National Weather Service is releasing preliminary snow totals for cities across the state. See how much fell in your town.

6:20 a.m. Poudre Valley REA said that the outage affecting more than 6,000 customers is on the power supplier’s end on a transmission line. Crews are working to restore electricity while also working to see if they can reroute power.

6:15 a.m. Colorado State Patrol has announced that both U.S. 287 and Interstate 25 in Larimer County to the state line have been reopened.

5:49 a.m. The Poudre Valley REA is reporting that 6,700 customers are being impacted by a power outage in the Windsor, Severance, West Greeley area. Details on how to stay warm if your power goes out.

5:00 a.m. The City of Castle Rock, Commerce City and Centennial are all on accident alert.

4:53 a.m. Denver International Airport is reporting 44 delays and 302 cancellations so far today.

4:30 a.m. Multiple highways have been closed in both directions due to adverse conditions. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, Loveland Pass is closed in both directions and Interstate 70 between Limon and Burlington is closed in both directions.

Forecast and radar

Whether you have plans to be outside or you just want to stay on top of the forecast, we have you covered.

We have several different radars on our website, which can be used no matter where you are.

The Pinpoint Weather team will update Colorado’s Most Accurate Forecast throughout the day on TV with updates on FOX31.