Storms blast westerly states

COLORADO, Wyoming and New Mexico struggled against the tail end of storms on New Year’s Eve that left more westerly states recovering from a wintertime onslaught of snow, rain and bitter wind.

Denver faced its heaviest snows of the season early yesterday, while parts of Wyoming and New Mexico bundled up against stormy weather and frigid temperatures.

Phoenix braced for a subfreezing yesterday morning, a rarity in the desert city.

The storms on Thursday blasted some states with fierce wind gusts and heavy rains or snows, closing roads and dumping precipitation on the edges of Phoenix.