Now that's some cold, cold 'cross

Photo by Steve Lewis / Durango Herald.

Colorado 'crossers have a lot more than rain and mud to deal with. Avoiding hypothermia or maybe just getting lost in a snowdrift may be their biggest concerns as a massive and early snowstorm moves through the Front Range of Colorado. The slow-moving storm is expected to drop up to six inches of snow at lower elevations and a foot or more in the mountains before moving out of the area Thursday.

Schools are closed and the weather has forced Sunday's upcoming NACT Boulder Cup to find a different location.

The heavy layer of wet snow that fell Tuesday night and throughout the day Wednesday forced the City of Boulder and event organizers to look for a new venue in an effort to avoid damage to the turf at Harlow Platts. The international caliber race has been relocated to The Boulder Reservoir, replacing the south Boulder location. Race director Chris Grealish described the move as the best alternative given the fragility of the turf at Harlow Platts.

"The racers love Harlow Platts because of the challenging nature of the grassy terrain," Grealish said in an announcement on the race website. "But we have an agreement with the City of Boulder to make a move if conditions there risk long-term damage to the park."