( CNN ) -- Blizzard conditions whipped through Colorado on Friday , closing some 70 miles of interstate highway as heavy snow blanketed the region , according to the state 's Department of Transportation . Officials reported a total of 600 flight cancellations at Denver International Airport , while Southwest Airlines canceled all inbound flights to Denver until 1 p.m. local time . Denver 's airport -- which was reporting 5 inches of snow as of 10:45 a.m. -- deals with an average of 1,700 flights daily , according to airport spokeswoman Jenny Schiavone . Light snow started falling in Denver Thursday as residents across the state braced for the storm . Winter weather in your area ? Share your story with iReport . Parts of the region could be plowing out from under 2 feet of snow and higher drifts by Saturday , when conditions are expected to gradually taper off . The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning starting Thursday evening along the Interstate 25 corridor , including the city of Denver . Most areas east of the city are under a blizzard warning , as snowfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour were expected . The warnings will remain in effect into late Friday evening . The airport has nearly 300 pieces of snow equipment and a team of approximately 500 trained snow removal personnel who plan to work throughout the storm . An avalanche watch that had been posted for the Front Range and Sangre de Cristo mountains was expected to expire on Friday . But rapid heavy snow on top of the currently weak snowpack structure could also quickly raise the avalanche danger , according to The Colorado Avalanche Information Center website . The storm will be slow moving , so a prolonged period of snow will occur through early Saturday , according to the National Weather Service . With winds gusting 40 mph or higher , blowing snow will make visibility at times near zero and travel on roads could be treacherous , if not impossible . A number of school districts in the Denver Metro area announced closures on their websites , including Denver Public Schools , Jefferson County Public Schools and Douglas County Schools . High temperatures are expected to remain in the 30s into early next week . CNN 's Adam Shivers contributed to this report .
NEW : This means the product will ship as received by the manufacturer, sealed, with all advertised components, and with the manufacturer warranty. Parts of the region could be plowing out of 2 feet of snow by Saturday . Areas east of the city are under a blizzard warning . A powerful winter storm whips through Colorado on Friday .