Snow fell in Denver on Friday night making roads slippery, slowing traffic, causing crashes and forcing flight cancellations and delays at Denver International Airport.

At the airport, 38 flights were canceled and 589 flights were delayed as of 8:35 p.m., said Alex Renteria, a DIA spokeswoman.

DIA reported just under four inches of snow at about 8 p.m., according to the National Weather Service, as snow continued to fall. The weather service said snowfall rates were between 1 and 2 inches per hour in the metro area Friday night and snowfall was expected to continue late into the night.

The persistent band of moderate to heavy snow will continue to gradually move east of the Denver Metro Area and expand in coverage thru the late evening hours. Snowfall rates will range from 1" to 2" per hour. #COwx pic.twitter.com/Z4hLrpWU0c

— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) February 23, 2019

Snow was also having an impact on the Interstate 70 corridor in the mountains, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Passenger vehicle traction and commercial vehicle chain laws were in place in both directions from Golden to Idaho Springs. The same laws were in effect Friday night on U.S. Highway 285, both directions, from Morrison to Pine Junction. Chain laws were also in place on U.S. Highway 6 over Loveland Pass.

RELATED: Colorado snow totals for Feb. 22, 2019

In Arapahoe County, Buckley Air Force Base reported 6.5 inches of snow at 8:30 p.m., the weather service said. In parts of Denver on Friday night, including central, southeast and southwest, police activated the “accident alert” system. In minor traffic accidents, without injuries and without drugs or alcohol involved, drivers can exchange identification and insurance information and later file an online report.

Since 5 p.m., 68 crashes were reported to Denver dispatchers, police said at 9 p.m. On Peña Boulevard, leading to the airport, plow crews on Friday night were busy trying to keep ahead of the falling snow.

“We’re working really hard trying to keep runways and roadways clear,” Renteria said. “Everything is weather dependent now.”

Colorado Springs went on accident alert at 8:21 p.m., police said.

In Denver, the snow was expected to let up and move east at about 2 a.m., according to the weather service. On Saturday, Denver skies will be mostly sunny and the high temperature should climb to about 39 degrees with winds gusting to 30 mph.

Colorado evening… #COwx pic.twitter.com/kBEsyXYDWv

— EG Keller (@EGKellerDraws) February 23, 2019

DALLAS — The Nuggets went on a 20-8 run to open the third quarter in Dallas Friday, turning a one-point halftime lead into a 114-104 win against the Mavericks in Denver’s first game after the All-Star break.

The Nuggets (40-18) poured it on in the third, outscoring Dallas 39-23 to put the game out of reach in the fourth.

Dallas (26-32) was without rookie guard Luka Doncic, who sat out with a sore wrist. Doncic, just 19, came into the game averaging 20.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

Will Barton was one of the Nuggets’ role players who sparked the decisive run in the game, hitting a 3-pointer on the wing to force the Mavericks into an early timeout with the Nuggets up, 57-51. Out of the Dallas timeout, Malik Beasley hit an open three after the play broke down to put Denver up 60-51.

Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with 19 points and 13 rebounds in the win. But in true Nuggets form, Paul Millsap (17 and 13), Isaiah Thomas (16), Beasley (13), Jamal Murray (12), Mason Plumlee (12) and Barton (10) also finished in double figures. Seven Nuggets came into Friday’s game scoring in double figures.

Despite shooting just 28.6 percent from the field in the first quarter, Jokic and Plumlee were the anchors inside for the Nuggets while Denver searched for offensive rhythm.

With defenders collapsing on Plumlee to help Dirk Nowitzki in the post, he found Jokic open at the top of the key to give the Nuggets their first brief lead of the game, up 18-17 with just under 5 minutes left in the first quarter.

Guard Isaiah Thomas was issued a technical foul early in the second quarter, when he was called for hacking Dallas forward Justin Jackson, and had some choice words for officials on his way back to the bench. Mavericks forward Dwight Powell threw down a dunk on the other end of the possession to give Dallas its biggest lead of the first half, up 37-32 less than three minutes into the second.

But the Nuggets were already starting to turn the tide defensively.

After the Mavericks’ hot 4-6 start from 3-point territory, Dallas missed its next 12 attempts from long range.

Beasley’s lookaway alley-oop dish to Plumlee, who flew in from the left block, put the Nuggets up 48-46 with just under three minutes to play in the first half, and the Nuggets never trailed again. Plumlee had 9 points and 8 rebounds in the first half, while Jokic, who picked up his third foul with just over four minutes to play before halftime, had 7, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

Denver shot 42 percent from the floor for the night, even after the poor shooting to start the game.

Rookie Guard Jalen Brunson had a season and career-high 22 points for Dallas in Doncic’s absence.

Denver gained a half-game on Golden State, which was idle Friday, and are now two games behind the Warriors for the best record in the Western Conference. The Nuggets host the LA Clippers (32-27) at 3 p.m. on Sunday.

MATT CARLSON, The Associated Press

CHICAGO — J.T. Compher scored his second goal of the game on a breakaway to snap a tie with 5:22 left in the third period, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3 Friday night for their third straight win.

Compher broke in alone from center ice after taking a pass from Patrik Nemeth and beat Collin Delia with a shot over the glove.

Carl Soderberg also had two goals, including a short-handed empty-netter, and Gabriel Landeskog scored his 32nd goal early in the third. Colorado got 41 saves from Semyon Varlamov.

Patrick Kane scored his 39th goal to extend his points streak to 20 games and goal-scoring run to five straight. Dylan Strome and Alex DeBrincat also scored for Chicago, while Jonathan Toews and Erik Gustafssson each had two assists.

Delia finished 26 saves as Chicago lost for just the third time in its last 13. Kane has 17 goals and 26 assists during his points streak.

Both the Avalanche and Blackhawks entered with 61 points, one behind Minnesota for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Colorado led 1-0 after a brisk first period that had only one whistle in the opening 9:45.

Soderberg opened the scoring with 3:51 left to cap a rush. After plowing past Gustafsson, Soderberg drove to then net, took a pass from Alexander Kerfoot and beat Delia between the pads for this career-high 20th goal.

Strome tied it with a power-play goal at 10:48 of the second. Gustafsson’s shot from the blue line whizzed past the left post. The puck bounced off the back board and to Strome, who tucked it in from the edge of the crease.

Compher’s power-play goal with 1:55 left in the second put Colorado back ahead, 2-1. He connected from the right side of the slot, and was set up by Mikko Rantanen on a play from a faceoff.

The Blackhawks replied from a faceoff in the Colorado zone when Kane scored with 29 seconds left in the frame. Kane was wide open in the right circle when he one-timed in a cross-ice feed from Toews.

Landeskog put Colorado in front 3-2 at 3:36 of the third after he rode Toews off the puck deep in the Chicago zone. The Avalanche captain kept skating with the puck, circled across the slot, fired and beat Delia low on the glove side.

DeBrincat backhanded in a second rebound midway through the third on a power play to tie it at 3.

With Colorado ahead 4-3, the Blackhawks pressured during a power play and with Delia pulled for an extra attacker in the final 1:43. Varlamov was sharp before Soderberg sealed it with his empty-netter with 34 seconds left.

NOTES: Kane is the seventh player in NHL history to have multiple point streaks of 20 more games. … Rantanen’s assist on Compher’s goal was his 200th NHL point. … Chicago D Brent Seabrook missed his third game with an abdominal strain and D Carl Dahlstrom sat out with flu-like symptoms. … The Blackhawks recalled D Henri Jokiharju from Rockford of the AHL and put him in the lineup. The 19-year-old, a first-round draft pick in 2017, played 37 games for Chicago earlier this season. … Avalanche F Colin Wilson (upper-body injury) missed a sixth straight game and D Ian Cole (upper body) sat out an eighth straight.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: At Nashville on Saturday.

Blackhawks: Host Dallas on Sunday afternoon.