Mar 19, 2003 3 min read

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) – A blizzard paralyzed southeastern Wyoming on Tuesday, shutting down state government and hundreds of miles of highway with low visibility and snowdrifts up to 5 feet high. Drifts more than twice that high were reported in the Colorado mountains, and United Airlines canceled al of its flights at Denver International Airport.

Both states needed the moisture after months of drought conditions.

Residents were advised not to travel in Cheyenne, where the wind-driven snow piled into deep drifts and forced all state offices, schools and the U.S. Postal Service to close. F.E. Warren Air Force Base at Cheyenne was closed to all but essential personnel.

The storm shut down a 150-mile stretch of Interstate 80 and a 70-mile stretch of Interstate 25, as well as a 130-mile section of Interstate 90 in northeast Wyoming.

Only one road was open into Laramie, but it was recommended only for essential travel.

Blowing snow and slippery pavement also closed sections of Interstate 25 in northeast Colorado and I-70 west of Denver, the Colorado State Patrol said.

Winter storm warnings were posted for much of Wyoming as the storm was expected to drop a foot or more of additional snow in the Cheyenne area and several feet of snow in mountain areas of southeast, central and northern Wyoming.

Four- and 5-foot drifts already were reported Tuesday in southeast Wyoming.

In Colorado, drifts up to 12 feet high were reported in the foothills southwest of Denver near Conifer, the weather service said.

Avalanche warnings were issued for Colorado mountain areas where up to 29 inches of snow fell and Loveland Pass was closed by an avalanche.

About 200 truckers were stuck at the Sapp Bros. truck stop along I-80 in Cheyenne. The truck stop’s motel was full of drivers and others spent the night in their trucks or the restaurant, said manager Glenn Wallace.

Trucker Jack Hiatt of Bristow, Neb., said he figured he was stuck at the truck stop until Wednesday. “I knew about the storm but we didn’t think it was going to be this bad,” he said.

Despite the problems, the snow was welcomed in the drought-parched region. Last year was Colorado’s driest on record, and the mountain snowpack – which accounts for four-fifths of the water in that state’s lakes and rivers – stood at about 85 percent of average last week.

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On the Net:

Wyoming Road Report: http://www.wyoroad.info/index.html

Weather Service Denver: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/den

Colorado Department of Transportation: http://www.cotrip.org

AP-ES-03-18-03 1650EST