Denver deluged by worst October snow storms in DECADES…and it’s set to get worse
DENVER has been savaged by its worst Autumn snow storm in decades.
For the past three days the capital of Colorado has been blanketed by waves of the white stuff with more on the way.
Many commuters have been opting to stay clear of roads this morning.
Already it has been the snowiest October the metropolitan area has experienced for 22 years
At the Stapleton Airport observation site, Denver has 11.4 inches of snow so far this month which is usually experienced in the depths of winter.
The National Weather Service said this morning heavy snow was imminent.
It said: "Additional snow accumulations of one to three inches with locally higher amounts possible, bringing storm total snowfall accumulations to six to 12 inches with up to 16 on highest elevations.
"Winds will be gusting as high as 40 mph.
"Travel will be difficult, especially over the high mountain passes.
"Expect hazardous winter driving conditions on all roads with snow-packed and icy roads and very poor visibility in heavy snow and occasional blowing snow.
"The poorest driving conditions are expected over Independence Pass and Schofield Pass."
ICE, SNOW... AND FIRE
Meanwhile, just a few states to the west, extraordinarily dry, prolonged Santa Ana winds are predicted to gust through Southern California, fanning rampant wildfires.
The National Weather Service issued an "extreme red flag" warning for wildfires in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
"I don't know if I've ever seen us use this warning," said forecaster Marc Chenard. "It's pretty bad."
Statewide, the weather service issued warnings of dangerous fire weather conditions covering more than 34,000 square miles, encompassing some 21 million people.
Scientists have linked an increase in frequency and intensity of wildfires to climate change.
An army of some 1,100 firefighters battled the Getty fire Tuesday in a narrow window of slower winds.
By early today, crews had managed to contain about 15 percent of the blaze.
In Northern California, where firefighters struggled for a sixth day against a 76,000-acre blaze in Sonoma County's winemaking region, high-wind forecasts prompted Pacific Gas and Electric Co to impose a new round of blackouts for nearly 600,000 homes and businesses.
That included about 400,000 customers blacked out in a power shutoff that PG&E instituted days earlier, the company said.
Early today PG&E announced that it had restored about 73 percent of the 970,000 or so customers affected in earlier shutoffs.