Travelers are reporting almost white-out conditions along Hwy 285, and traffic at a slow crawl at Richmond Hill Rd heading SB. Please me careful heading home.
Tamra H 4:56pm
Richmond Hill southbound is parking lot almost whiteout
Carrie N 4:54pm
Slow going south on 285 at Calfee Gulch Rd. Be careful folks coming down the hill! Traffic is moving still.
Marlis M 4:42pm
Roads are slick south of Conifer at 4:40 p.m. and Richmond Hill is backed up to the Park & Ride. Traffic is moving VERY slowly.
Carrie S 4:36pm
Traffic is starting to back up at Richmond Hill. We never slipped on the drive up. Snow started sticking around Windy Point. If you have good tires you should be fine. Scratch that. We were sitting at a dead stop at Richmond and tried to start up and we slid a little bit with snow tires. Getting progressively worse.
Many travelers are reporting in the 285 Traveler Group that 285, 43, 73, and 126 are nicely plowed leaving a snowpacked road on a layer of ice. Please be careful out there!
Updates from members of the 285 Traveler FB Group:
Nikki K. 36min ago
Huge elk herd down a short embankment on the northbound side of 285 just past Kum N Go. Heads up if they start wandering up towards the road.
Martin A. 1hr ago
No lane recognition, not bound not plowed. Southbound had plows by homestead fire house.
Slick in spots. Had inch or so snow packed.
Rtd bus stuck in Morrison canyon south bound.
Average 45 in 4wd dually truck.
From conifer too 470. 630-645
Jill B. 1hr ago
5am-5:50am
High Dr to North Turkey Creek to 285N to C470 into Highlands Ranch.
Roads covered with light snow. A few icy spots on NTC on the curves as you approach the highway.
285 - lightly snow covered with occasional lane recognition. It is definitely starting to stick in the canyon. We saw plows heading SB and then a pair of plows hopped on in front of us on the NB side at Hwy 8 Morrison.
Lighter and lighter snow on C470 as you get further south.
Anita L 8:37am: Pine Junction to Golden. Roads are horrible the entire way. 285 is not plowed due to jack-knifed semi in the Canyon heading Southbound. Plows can't get up, so nothing is plowed on 285 heading down. Solid ice base. Poor visibility due to blowing snow and current snow fall. Perfect day to stay home if you can!!!
Jen R 8:57am
Just took Deer Creek. It’s not plowed so quite a bit of snow but made it just fine. Heads up if you take that way there is a dead deer in the road that’s hard to see because it’s snow covered- near the sign for Bella Lane.
Jill B from 285 Traveler:
8:30-9:25am
C470 west from the Ice Ranch to Wadsworth - snow covered but still some lane recognition. Took Deer Creek Canyon from there since 285SB was closed due to jackknifed semi.
Deer Creek Canyon has not been plowed but there’s hardly anyone on it so you can cheat a bit to the middle where you can feel the rumble strip and get an awareness for where you are on the road.
North Turkey Creek and High Drive have also not been plowed and have only been lightly traveled so there’s no lane recognition.
I could feel us slide a bit on corners with several inches of snow built up but I didn’t feel any ice. Had the SUV in AWD snow traction mode and have snow tires on it.
Katherine B. 11:30am
Arvada to Bailey... Took I70 to Evergreen, some white out conditions with at least 1 lane plowed the entire way with visible lanes. 74 through Evergreen is snow packed and so was 73, worst part was the visibility. 285 to Pine was horrible with lots of ice and snow with no lane recognition. Park county has done a great job plowing after Pine. Just take it slow and steady.
From Clif B 1hr ago in 285 Traveler:
Good morning Shelton and 43 are still snowpacked, 285 has wagon tracks, there's a spot just short of kings valley that got my full attention 73 is snowpacked, the beloved traffic circle has not been sanded so hit that at more than 5 mph plan on a bounce and a bend. Have a warm day
Passenger traction law and commercial vehicle chain law is in effect on Hwy 285 between C470 and Fairplay.
From the 285 Traveler Group:
Martin A 2m ago
Conifer 625 to golden
Northbound is plowed. No lane recognition. Slush under snow. Will get pulled a little/is slick in turns.
635/640. Canyon super sloshy. Canyon averaging 30mph
2 semis chaining up southbound on windy point.
Gabriella M. 1hr ago
Parmalee to DIA at 4:45
Parmalee - plowed. Easy drive. Starwars
285 - low visibility but road is great
470 - wet road. Windy. Mild starwars but no big issue
70 - rainy/snow
No slick spots that I noticed but I drive slow amd give space.
Clif B. 1hr ago
Good morning Travelers and fellow thrill seekers, this is more like a March storm, snow is wet and slick. Shelton and 43 are snowpacked and unplowed. 285 is also snowpacked with no lane recognition but the plows are out. I had a little clench of the cheeks coming outta shaffers crossing about half way up. There's a car on its lid just past the crest of Richmond Hill going southbound. 73 is plowed in the normal fashion to Blue creek then slay ride to Marshdale about 2.5 inches in Evergreen. Have a fantastic day
Lia A. 2hr ago
It's SLICK!!
0330-0410 285 Northbound from Pine Junction to 470 (AWD with new snow tires)
Absolutely no lane recognition until halfway through the canyon. Almost slid off the road where I marked on the map going 40mph. Drove 35-50mph (seasoned snow driver with a bad habit of a lead foot). Plows out in both directions--thank you for your dedication to keeping the roads safe!
Shannon S 12m ago
Left Lakewood SB at 6:30. Through the canyon there is a now covered roads, plowed but no lane recognition. People driving in the middle of the road. Snowing heavily in the Lakewood and Morrison area.
Janet W 13m ago
North and southbound 285 from Kings Valley to 470 it’s actually not too bad out there. I am going about 35 - 40 mph which is what everyone else is doing. Packed snow with no lane recognition but the grooves are pretty good There’s no blowing snow visibility is good ….of course if you can stay home do so, but if you need to get out and go somewhere, it’s totally doable
