Snowstorm Pummels the Rockies
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DENVER — A powerful snowstorm swept out of the Rockies and delivered a wet, slushy blow to the heavily populated Colorado Front Range on Monday, delaying flights, knocking out power and shutting down hundreds of miles of highway, including 80 miles of Interstate 70. At least one person was killed, apparently by a falling tree limb.
Ski resorts reported up to 24 inches in the mountains west of Denver. The wet, heavy snow began sticking to tree limbs and power lines shortly after midnight.
A 73-year-old former Denver Post reporter died Monday after being struck by a falling limb, the newspaper reported. She was identified as Virginia McKibben.
About 50,000 customers lost power, according to Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility.
Many trees, still in full leaf, snapped under the snow’s weight. “They’ve acted as large snow-catchers, and the weakest ones have come down into our lines,” Xcel spokesman Mark Stutz said.
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