DENVER (AP) - Gov. Jared Polis said Thursday he is activating about 50 National Guard troops to help first responders conduct any search and rescues required during a winter storm expected to hit the Front Range this weekend.
Polis urged residents during a virtual news conference to stay home except for emergencies during the height of the storm, which he said is expected to deliver a mix of rain and snow in the Colorado Springs area to the south and possibly two feet (60 centimeters) of snow to the north near the Wyoming border.
The National Weather Service in Boulder says parts of the eastern plains could be affected as well on Saturday and Sunday from the Pacific storm system that brought rain and snow to California this week.
Polis said the state agriculture department is on standby to help farmers and ranchers touched by the storm.
“You don’t want to be one of those people to be searched down and rescued,” Polis said, urging residents to stay put. “Use your common sense. If it starts to snow, it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
The Colorado Department of Transportation has transferred crews and equipment from the high country to the Front Range and will prioritize keeping interstates open. But it will institute safety closures if needed, said John Lorme, the agency’s director of maintenance and operations.
Lorme noted that hundreds of motorists were stranded during a 2019 blizzard in which National Guard soldiers and airmen helped local law enforcement rescue people stranded in their cars.
Polis urged those with COVID-19 vaccine appointments this weekend to check with their providers for any cancellations. Colorado has received the week’s shipments of vaccines from the federal government, so supplies won’t be disrupted, he said.
“If they have canceled, don’t panic, your vaccine is still there,” the governor said.
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