Temperatures continue to fall in Denver. As of 10 p.m., the temperature at Denver International Airport was 13 degrees below zero, a record low for the day.
The wind chill at DIA was minus 31 degrees.
The previous record low for the date was minus 5, set on Dec. 4, 2008. The record low for Dec. 5 is 15 below, set in 1972.
The evening commute was slow for most motorists and many Denver metro area roads were a mess, with multiple accidents reported.
Snowfall in Denver increased after daybreak and was steady through most of the morning, but lessened in the afternoon and had basically stopped by nightfall.
Areas in the foothills west of Boulder received about 7 inches of snow, according to the weather service, with lesser amounts in the metro area.
Denver International Airport reported a “trace” amount of snow overnight, according to the an airport media release. Peña Boulevard, the main approach to the airport, is wet, according to DIA.
Travelers should expect to spend some extra time on tarmac Wednesday as planes de-ice throughout the day.
Travelers can check flight status at flydenver.com, however according to the website Flight Aware.com, as of 12:30 p.m., DIA was experiencing 43 minute average departure delays.
FlightAware also reported 14 flights from DIA cancelled today and 21 flights into Denver cancelled. The website reported 111 delayed flights from DIA between 9 and 11 a.m., more delays than any other airport in the country. The delays appeared to be slowing, however, with 105 flights between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. experiencing delays
FlightAware tracks flight delays and cancellations based on government and airline data.
At 10 a.m., DIA reported that cancellation were mostly of regional flights to mountain airports and northern cities. A DIA spokesperson did not return phone calls.
DIA, among the busiest airports in the country, averages more than 1,700 flights and serves more than 145,000 passengers daily.
The Regional Transportation District reported Wednesday morning that some local buses were running about 10 to 15 minutes late and buses using Interstate 25 and U.S. 36 ran up to 30 minutes late because of the snow and traffic conditions. Light Rail is running on time, RTD said.
The wintery weather on Wednesday shut down the Denver Zoo for the day, the zoo announced on social media.
“Stay safe and warm and know that the polar bears are enjoying this burst of winter weather,” the zoo said on its Facebook page.
The high temperature in Denver Wednesday was 11 degrees, recorded a little after midnight. At 6 a.m. in Denver the temperature was 5 degrees and at 11 a.m. the temperature rose to 7 degrees, according to the weather service.
The wind chill in Denver will dip to minus 9 degrees at times.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, knicholson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/kierannicholson
Cold weather tips:
In your car, have a flashlight, blankets, high energy snack bars, water, gloves, a hat. jump cables, tools and a full spare tire.
At the house, Keep doors, windows and vents closed when not in use and repair broken windows, doors and cracks in the walls to prevent cold air from entering.
•Insulate pipes that may be exposed to outside temperatures.
•Pay particular attention to piping in attics, entries, penthouses, stairways, under floor areas, above ceilings, shipping, and similar out-of-the-way areas where low temperatures might occur.
