Colorado National Guard activated, disaster emergency declared for severe winter storm

DENVER ( KDVR ) — On Thursday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis verbally declared a disaster emergency due to an incoming winter storm projected to drop feet of snow over the Eastern Plains and upward of a foot of snow in the Denver metro.

In the order, Polis also authorized unarmed Colorado National Guard members to provide winter storm response support. The declaration activates Colorado’s State Emergency Operation Center and the State Emergency Operations Plan, in addition to directing the Office of Emergency Management to take “all necessary and appropriate State actions to assist the affected jurisdictions.”

Denver weather: Winter storm warning Friday through Saturday morning

The order also allows the OEM to mobilize state resources and to make contracts and awards using Emergency Procurement Procedures.

“The storm is expected to develop throughout the day, and this declaration is necessary to have resources in place to support rescue efforts around the state as the storm worsens into the evening,” Polis wrote in his disaster declaration.

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