February 26, 2015 VOLU M E 1 2 0 | I S S UE 4 | 7 5 ¢
ElbertCountyNews.net E L B E R T C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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Cattle on a property off County Road 21 huddle together during the snowstorm Feb. 22. Elbert County received more than 13 inches of snow. Photos by Rick Gustafson
Elbert County weathers the storm Snow forces some events to be canceled, but brings little in the way of chaos By Rick Gustafson
Special to Colorado Community Media
POSTAL ADDRESS
The weekend’s winter storm may not have dumped the 2 feet of snow the National Weather Service predicted, but single-digit temperatures and the 13-plus inches of snow that did fall were enough to force organizations to cancel weekend events and keep many residents at home. The weather did not keep everyone inside, however. Amber Webster, a 13-year-old from Elizabeth, made the most of the storm by going door to door asking neighbors if they wanted their walks or driveways shoveled. By midmorning, Webster had already been paid for five jobs and began working her way down Pearl Street in search of more customers. Warm weather ahead of the storm kept roads wet for most of the day Feb. 21 until temperatures dropped shortly before sunset and the intensity of the storm covered roads with slush, but county plow crews appeared to be keeping up with the snow on primary roads.
ELBERT COUNTY NEWS (USPS 171-100)
OFFICE: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Elizabeth, Colorado, the Elbert County News is published weekly on Thursday by Colorado Community Media. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ELIZABETH, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 210 Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 DEADLINES: Display: Thurs. 11 a.m. Legal: Thurs. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 10 a.m. G ET SOCIAL WITH US
P L EA SE R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
Amber Webster, 13, drums up snow-shoveling jobs on South Pearl Street in Elizabeth on Feb. 22.
Snow continues on Page 8
It takes teamwork to prep for blizzard Several departments come together to keep Elbert County safe By Rick Gustafson
Special to Colorado Community Media When the National Weather Service began tracking a storm on Feb. 17, it had all the signs of a significant winter weather event typical for the Front Range and Colorado plains in February and March. As two cold fronts approached, one from the west, the other from the north, forecasting models prompted the National Weather Service office in Boulder to issue a winter-storm watch for Elbert County in advance of the weekend. In the early hours of Feb. 20, the morning sun rose into a clear Colorado-blue sky and temperatures rose into the 50s, offering no validation of the ominous forecast, but county residents seemed to know better and began preparing. Storm prep continues on Page 8
Brigitta Hebdon and her daughters Rian and Shelby stock up Feb. 20 at the Safeway in Elizabeth as the storm approaches. Photo by Rick Gustafson