A storm system that dumped feet of wet, heavy snow on Colorado last week is moving on, as counties south and east of Denver dig themselves out of the slush.

The Palmer Divide area, south of Denver and north of Colorado Springs, took a big hit from the storm. Castle Rock reported 12 to 18 inches, and about 38 inches of snow was reported in rural Genoa, just east of Limon, as of Saturday morning, according to Zach Hiris, a meteorologist at the Boulder office of the National Weather Service. In the Denver area, communities received from a few inches to more than a foot and a half of snow.

Capt. Michael Yowell of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said rescue operations were ongoing in the rural region east of Colorado Springs as of 10 a.m., with abandoned cars blocking snowplows and at least two heavy machinery operators stranded after trying to dig out drivers who used county roads to avoid highway closures.

“Bulldozers are stuck in this thing trying to get to a Honda Civic that’s buried over its roof,” Yowell said. “It was a one-two punch from Mother Nature that we took right on the chin.”

Although no people or livestock had been found dead, Yowell said areas of the county remain inaccessible to local rescuers and members of the Colorado National Guard mobilized by Gov. Jared Polis. Yowell added that many motorists were taken to warming shelters during the storm, and the unincorporated community of Karval was without electricity overnight.

“The snow is just so wet and so heavy. It’s like a spring snowstorm that we’re getting in the first part of November. It’s one of those storms you really need to get a running start at,” he said.

Wintry weather shut down highways and other major roadways across the state starting Wednesday and continued to stifle traffic Thursday and Friday.

Denver highways and Interstate 25 were once again open as of 10:20 a.m., and Interstate 70 had reopened on both sides of E-470 by the afternoon, although many routes southeast of Denver across the plains remained closed.

More than 500 flights at Denver International Airport were also delayed and canceled Saturday — an improvement over the preceding days, with about 1,100 flights impacted Thursday and more than 1,500 flights Friday.

In Denver, the snow abated completely by Saturday afternoon, and a dry, sunny week is expected to follow, with highs in the 50s.