Officials in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado alerted drivers to road closures and severe driving conditions Thursday morning as piling snow and dropping temperatures wreaked havoc on roadways.
In Montana, the state transportation department warned of traffic hazards and abandoned vehicles across the state. Drivers face particular trouble outside the city of Bozeman on Interstate 90, where the temperature is -33 degrees.
Officials also reported a cluster of hazards and incidents near the small town of Glendive in eastern Montana. At the intersection of several highways there, the temperature is -21 degrees, according to transportation officials.
The department’s road report cautions about “blowing snow, reduced visibility, and scattered snow and ice.”
The Wyoming transportation department also reported clusters of hazards and incidents across the state. Drivers face particular trouble in the southwest of the state, near the cities of Kemmer and Evanston, and in the southeast of the state near Cheyenne.
In Idaho, transportation officials reported significant road closures near the southeastern city of Pocatello due to drifting snow and high winds. Weather stations recorded temperatures as low as -20 degrees in Pocatello.
And in Colorado, the state’s transportation department issued a number of statewide safety closures Thursday morning, with some highways closed due to blowing snow creating “adverse driving conditions and low visibility.”
Interstate 70 is closed in multiple places, including eastbound at Silverthorne near Denver, where semi-trucks spun out.
“Roads are icy, visibility is poor at times when the wind gusts, and there are numerous vehicles stuck on the roadways. Travel is not advised. Please stay home and warm, it’s the safest option today,” Colorado State Patrol Troop 4C warned.
