DENVER -- As predicted, the heavy, wet, abundant snowfall is creating quite a mess, but in many ways, it is also quite a blessing.

The storm has shut down highways across the state, forced dozens of school districts to cancel classes, closed malls and businesses, and shut down office buildings and local government offices.

And it's only going to get worse.

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Weather conditions deteriorated rapidly in the afternoon, with blowing snow causing numerous problems on the roads and at the airport.

Heavier snow will likely come overnight and all day Wednesday, 7NEWS Meteorologist Richard Ortner said. The Front Range will receive about 3 to 4 feet by the end of the storm but the foothills will receive the brunt of the storm. They are expected to be digging out of 5 to 8 feet of snow by Thursday morning.

The heaviest accumulations will be east of the Continental Divide and over the eastern sloping foothills -- which may receive up to 6 feet of snow by late Wednesday afternoon.

The eastern foothills are receiving such large amounts of snow that areas above 7,000 feet have reported snow falling at a rate of 2 inches an hour. The northeast plains will see little accumulation, if not rain.

The other big problem that drivers and travelers could face is the wind. Gusts of 30 mph winds will make visibility in spots very poor and could create dangerous, blizzardlike conditions, Ortner said.

Even though snowplows were out in force all day Tuesday, drivers hitting the roads barely noticed because the snow was falling so heavily that it was difficult for the snowplows to keep up, 7NEWS reported.

Cars creeped along highways and side roads, slowly navigating between snowdrifts and snow piles and at times, spinning out and getting stuck.

Tuesday's weather conditions will be repeated on Wednesday, but the commute is expected to be a lot rougher because it will be much windier and there will be a lot more snow on the road.

The Front Range can expect about another another foot or two of snow on Wednesday and the foothills, well, you might really be snowed in if you aren't already! Foothills can see 3 to 4 feet of new snow after Wednesday.

Most of the schools and businesses that were closed on Tuesday were also closed on Wednesday, which will mean two snow days, kids!

Conditions are expected to improve by Thursday afternoon.

Flight Cancellations, Road Closures

United, American, Frontier, and America West were the first to cancel all of their flights.

Officials at Denver International Airport said that they have snowplows working around-the-clock on the runways and Pena Boulevard, and insist that the "all-weather aiport" is still open. However, during the day, only one runway was open so planes were backed up and remained on the tarmac for hours. Visibility was so poor with the blowing snow that the other airlines also announced cancellations.

Officials suggest that travelers call their airline for specific information about delays and cancellations for Wednesday.

The Colorado State Patrol said that "virtually all of Wyoming" roads are closed and listed these specific highways in Colorado as being closed:

Interstate 25 northbound at Wellington
I-70 westbound at Lookout Mountain
I-70 eastbound at Hwy. 58
I-70 eastbound at El Rancho (near Evergreen)
Hwy. 287 northbound at Ted's Place

All metro counties are also on accident alert.

"We are STRONGLY SUGGESTING everyone stay home and do not attempt to travel at this time," CSP spokesman Don Moseman said. "This will get worse before it gets better. We have hundreds of cars off on roads in all locations and multiple accidents. We anticipate further closures."

The Colorado Department of Transportation is also discouraging travel in the mountains.

"Because of current weather conditions, the potential for avalanches has jumped significantly, increasing the chances that highways may be closed at any time for safety reasons," CDOT spokeswoman Stacy Stegman said. "CDOT wants to ensure that travelers don't get stranded but rather have the opportunity to find safe, warm accommodations."

CDOT closed US 40 Berthoud Pass because of a high avalanche hazard.

The pass will remain closed overnight and possibly through Wednesday, Stegman said.

The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Department told 7NEWS that there have been a couple of avalanche slides in Clear Creek County along I-70 between Silverplume and Georgetown. The slides have hit I-70, but there is still one lane open. No injuries were reported in any of the slides.

Weather-related power failures in Denver knocked out power to tens of thousands of people Tuesday. Similar problems Monday night forced the cancellation of a Cher concert at the 20,000-seat Pepsi Center when the electricity went out for 33 minutes.

Shelters Set Up

The American Red Cross opened two shelters in response to the needs caused by the winter storm.

One is at 2000 W. 92nd Ave. at the Holiday Hills Village clubhouse. This shelter was set up to accommodate residents of the Holiday Hills Village mobile home park, who are without power, and any other residents in the area that may be without power.

Another shelter was opened at Douglas County High School at 2842 Front Street in Castle Rock for stranded travelers on I-25.

Three additional shelters may be opened as the day progresses. Their locations will likely be in Aurora, Strasburg and in Summit County, the Red Cross says.

A Blessing?

For kids who are on spring break or who are not in school because of a snow day, this wet, thick snow is the perfect element for snowmen and sledding. But besides the kids and the ski resorts who are loving all of this fresh snow, the parched state is also soaking in all this accumulation with glee.

Colorado endured its driest year on record in 2002.

Snowpack readings Tuesday showed the South Platte River Basin, a major source of water for Denver, was up to 95 percent of average.

Numerous cities have had to impose water restrictions as reservoir levels declined. This snow has fortunately delayed the likelihood of early wildfires.

As one Conifer resident said, "I'd rather be snowed in than fired out."

Avalanche Warnings

Avalanche warnings were issued for mountain areas where up to 29 inches fell. Loveland Pass was closed by an avalanche. The nearby Arapahoe Basin Ski area reported 19 inches of snow overnight.

"We could get a month's worth of precipitation in a couple of days or even see an historic storm. And this is not the only storm we are going to get in the next week or two," atmospheric scientist Klaus Wolter said.

Additional Stories:

Brunt Of Storm Still Coming
Power Outages Affect Tens Of Thousands
DIA Flights Canceled

Previous Stories:

• March 17, 2003: Snow Storm To Sock It To Us
March 17, 2003: Tornado Warnings Issued
March 17, 2003: Power Outages Hit Homes
March 17, 2003: Richard Describes What Will Happen