How cold was it? Pretty darn cold

How cold was it Monday? The warmest it got was 8 degrees below the average low for this time of year.

Temperatures in Colorado Springs only rose to 10 degrees, 33 degrees lower than the normal high. The normal low is 18 degrees, the National Weather Service in Pueblo said.

People awoke Monday not only to daunting temperatures but to plenty of white stuff. The Colorado Springs Airport recorded 2.8 inches of snow Monday.

Low temperatures kept roads icy, and although the snow plows hit the main streets, side roads remained buried.

The conditions led to numerous fender-benders Monday night, but no serious accidents. The Colorado Springs Police Department's Sand Creek substation saw so many accidents that officers were only responding to those with injuries or in need of a tow truck.

Calls to AAA were up about 25 percent Monday as motorists drained their batteries trying to start cold engines or locked themselves out of their cars after starting them to warm up.

"While it did cause some problems, we are not as swamped as we thought we would be," said spokeswoman Mary Greer.

The storm dropped up to a foot of snow on the state's major ski resorts and led to more than 70 avalanches in the mountains on Monday, but no injuries were reported.

With wind chills on some mountain ridges at 60 below zero, "It wasn't a day for people to go out and find trouble," said Scott Toepfer, a National Weather Service avalanche forecaster.

Forecasters say temperatures will remain below normal for the rest of the week, and there is a slight chance of snow tonight and Wednesday morning.

- The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Flights

Winter weather canceled all four United nonstop flights between Colorado Springs and Chicago on Monday. Flight status can be checked by calling United at 1-800-824-6200 or at www. united.com.

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