I-70 · MO / KS / CO
I-70 from Kansas City to Denver: road conditions right now
Kansas City, MO to Denver, CO
The 600 miles of I-70 across Kansas and eastern Colorado are flat, fast, and exposed. Upslope storms on the Colorado side close I-70 between Limon and Denver with blowing snow, and Kansas ice storms glaze the Hays–Salina stretch.
Conditions at Sat, 1:55 AM CDT
Highest risk along I-70: 5 of 5 (severe), departing at that time.
- NWS Dense Fog Advisory, until Sat, 11:00 AM CDT
- NWS Dense Fog Advisory, until Sat, 11:00 AM CDT
- DOT: Road closed — I-70 (eastbound)
- DOT: Road closed — I-70 (westbound)
- DOT: Road closed — US 69 (northbound)
- DOT: Road closed — US 69 (southbound)
- DOT: Road closed — SE Monroe St (northbound)
- DOT: Road closed — SE Monroe St (southbound)
- DOT: Road closed — SE California Ave (northbound)
- DOT: Road closed — SE California Ave (southbound)
- DOT: Road closed — SE Madison St (northbound)
- DOT: Road closed — SE 4th St (eastbound)
- DOT: Road closed — SE 4th St (westbound)
- DOT: Road closed — I-70 (eastbound)
- DOT: Road closed — I-70 (westbound)
- DOT: Road closed — I-70 (westbound)
- DOT: Road closed — I-70 (westbound)
- DOT: Road closed — I-70 (westbound)
- DOT: Road closed — SE 2nd St (eastbound)
- DOT: Road closed — SE 2nd St (westbound)
The road authority linked below has the final word on closures and chain requirements.
3 h of severe risk, worst between Kansas City, MO and Ellsworth, KS (road closed, light rain)
Time in weather: 3 h severe · 1 h 15 min moderate · 4 h clear
Conditions: Cloudy, Light rain, Patchy Fog
Checkpoints along I-70
| Where | You pass | Weather | Risk | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO | Sat 2:00 AM | 62°F | severe | KanDrive (KDOT): Road closed — I-70 (eastbound) · Sources differ: NWS says Chance Rain Showers at 63°F |
| Silver Lake, KS | Sat 3:00 AM | 61°F | severe | KanDrive (KDOT): Road closed — SE Monroe St (northbound) · Likely light rain |
| Abilene, KS | Sat 4:00 AM | 60°F | severe | KanDrive (KDOT): Road closed — I-70 (westbound) |
| Ellsworth, KS | Sat 5:00 AM | 57°F | low | Sources differ: NWS says Rain Showers Likely at 55°F |
| WaKeeney, KS | Sat 6:00 AM | 54°F | low | Sources differ: NWS says Chance Rain Showers at 53°F |
| Colby, KS | Sat 7:00 AM | 52°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Burlington, CO | Sat 8:00 AM | 50°F | low | Nothing flagged |
| Limon, CO | Sat 9:00 AM | 48°F | moderate | NWS Dense Fog Advisory in effect until Sat 10:00 AM · Sources differ: NWS says Areas Of Fog at 43°F |
| Aurora, CO | Sat 10:00 AM | 46°F | moderate | NWS Dense Fog Advisory in effect until Sat 10:00 AM |
| Denver, CO | Sat 10:15 AM | 45°F | moderate | NWS Dense Fog Advisory in effect until Sat 10:00 AM · Fog or haze reducing visibility |
Why this stretch is hard in winter
- CDOT closes I-70 east of Denver (Airpark to Limon, sometimes to Burlington) with safety closures when visibility drops.
- Eastern Colorado has almost no services between Limon and Burlington; do not start the last leg into a warning.
- Kansas freezing-rain events are frequent from December to February and are underestimated by drivers used to snow.
What this page checks
- Hourly forecast at every checkpoint for the time you would be there: temperature, precipitation type and rate, gusts, visibility.
- Active National Weather Service watches, warnings, and advisories on the route.
- Snow on the ground (NOAA SNODAS) and the Weather Prediction Center winter impact outlook.
- Pavement temperature and surface state from state DOT road sensors, when you are leaving within a few hours.
- Chain controls, closures, and winter road condition reports from state DOT feeds where they are published openly.
- Seasonal closures of mountain roads the router might otherwise use.
Official sources for this corridor
Questions drivers ask about I-70
- Why does CDOT close I-70 east of Denver?
- Because blowing snow on the open plains drops visibility to zero and there is no safe place to stop for 60 miles. Closures are announced on COtrip and usually last until the wind drops. This page shows active NWS warnings and hourly gusts along the route.
Conditions change by the hour. This page is a planning aid built on public forecasts and DOT feeds; the road authority linked above has the final word on closures and chain requirements.
Other corridors: I-80 across Wyoming · I-70 through the Colorado mountains · I-80 over Donner Pass · I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass · I-84 through the Blue Mountains · I-15 over Cajon Pass · all corridors