Teller County gets first impact from Wednesday’s storm

While Woodland Park waited to be hit by the latest winter storm, as much as five inches had fallen just a few miles west in Divide.

By 4 p.m. Wednesday, some Divide residents reported white-out conditions and roads packed with snow and ice. The storm spread east through Woodland Park and Ute Pass by nightfall.

Neighbors said they’re glad to see snow because the area has been dry and needs moisture. However, with that comes slick roads and the possibility of more crashes.

“The roads are snow-packed and icy, hard to see the shoulders,” said Wanda Pridgen, who was driving back to El Paso County from Cripple Creek. “Four-wheel drive, 30 mph. But I can handle it.”

A state trooper says his new Dodge Charger handles well in ice and snow.

“We’re driving a lot slower than some of the people out there,” said Trooper Skylar Hoehn of the Colorado State Patrol. “We’re comfortable with the cars we drive. We’re fully trained in them.”

For some, the snow means extra work — lots of plowing, shoveling and scraping. But many people didn’t seem to mind.

According to the Teller County Sheriff’s Office, there were no major accidents reported Wednesday.