News Flash

Update 3:30 PM

City of Glenwood Springs Roadway Plowing Operational Update

Glenwood Springs, Colo. – Due to the high level of snowfall during the last three hours and the anticipation of this snowfall quantity continuing until at least 11 p.m. tonight, December 31, the city plow crews schedule and focus will be as follows.

Full plowing operations will continue until 4:00pm today with the following street list being focused on:

Devereux Road, Midland Avenue, Blake Avenue, 19^th Street, 20^th Street, 23^rd Street, 27^th Street, 8^th Street from Midland to Grand, 9^th Street from Colorado to Grand, South Grand, Donegan Road, 6^th Street, West 13^th, Walz Avenue, West 10^th, Red Mountain Drive, Cedar Crest Drive, Vista, Sunny Acres, Traver Trail main route, 10^th Street, 13^th Street, 14^th Street, Palmer Avenue, and Bennet Avenue

From 4:00pm to 7:00pm only Primary routes will be focused on:

Devereux Road, Midland Avenue, Blake Avenue, 19^th Street, 20^th Street, 23^rd Street, 27^th Street, 8^th Street from Midland to Grand, South Grand, Donegan Road, and 6^th Street.

All other streets are anticipated to resume per the plowing schedule tomorrow, January 1, 2022. 

Crews have been working 12-15 hours shifts since Christmas Eve to keep up with the plowing of all streets and alleyways within the city.  From 7 p.m. tonight to 3 a.m. tomorrow, January 1, 2022 crews will only be plowing if called out by emergency services to allow for rest and resuming removal operations early tomorrow morning.  Please do not travel unless necessary during these hazardous winter conditions. 

Please call Garfield County Dispatch for any roadway plowing emergencies or power outages during this storm event at (970) 625-8095.

City of Glenwood Springs Cancels Annual New Year’s Eve Fireworks Display Due to Winter Storm

Glenwood Springs, Colo. – Due to the extreme and adverse weather conditions the City’s New Year's Eve fireworks and corresponding downtown event have been canceled. The city is under a winter weather warning through Saturday morning due to the storm, which includes heavy snow and high gusts of wind. With so much wind and snow, fireworks would not be visible and could potentially be blown off trajectory.

 “We’re disappointed to have to cancel, but we want everyone to stay safe, keep warm indoors and to stay off roads during this storm,” said Parks and Recreation Director Brian Smith. “The Fireworks will be used for a future event in Glenwood Springs. Have a safe and happy New Year!”

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News Briefs, 1:30 PM

Since December 24, Glenwood Springs has received 27.5” of snow with more still falling. As of the morning of December 31, City Street crews, assisted by Gould Construction, have hauled 427 loads of snow off of the streets, with 576 hours of plowing tracked, and have used 300 tons of deicer. Over the Christmas break, in addition to plowing and de-icing, crews had to pump out several areas that had flooded. 

“We’re incredibly grateful for the tireless work of our crews, many of which often work their routes in long 12-hour shifts,” said Public Works Director Matt Langhorst. “Most snow events occur later in the day and overnight, this one has just been snow all day and night making it tougher to catch up and do a detailed cleaning. Thank you to everyone as we work through these heavy winter conditions.”

Glenwood Springs has just over 87 lane miles of streets in the city to plow, many with unique plowing challenges like curves in the road, obstructions, or lack of convenient locations to pile snow. To reach as many streets as quickly as possible and to keep up with the snowfall, crews are typically unable to detail each street. By keeping a uniform pace and approach, crews are able to prioritize keeping emergency access and driving lanes open. Crews prioritize emergency access and school bus access first, then they hit all the side streets to open them up. 

All City Facilities to close at 2 p.m. due to Weather

City Hall, the Community Center, Recycle Center, and the South Canyon Landfill in Glenwood Springs will close early today, December 31 due to weather. Each facility is also closed tomorrow, January 1 in observance of New Year's Day except the Community Center which will be open with regular hours, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Advice for New Year’s Weather

[FIREWORKS CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER]

We are expecting as much as 10” of snow between 8 a.m. today, December 31, 2021, and 9 a.m. on January 1, 2022. Please be advised that roads will likely be snow packed and icy until mid-day on January 1. It is strongly recommended to only travel if necessary. 

• Snow tires or all-terrain tires are recommended for winter use.
• Do not attempt to cross over the windrows in the center of the road. 
• Watch out for the plow drivers, give them room and courtesy please. Please remember they are away from their families on the holidays making sure that the city streets are safe for everyone.
• Please adhere to the new City Code and do not deposit snow from your commercial or residential private property in the City right-of-way. The streets and sidewalks contain all the snow we can handle, please keep private snow on private property.

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