After a late-spring snowstorm moved through Colorado and began to ease Wednesday, the impacts remained visible across the state’s Front Range and mountain communities, where schools were canceled, roads grew slick, and travel disruptions continued into the day.
The system swept over the Rocky Mountains and into the High Plains a day earlier and was winding down Wednesday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters said several higher-elevation towns saw around 2 feet of snow, while a winter storm warning remained in place for additional accumulation including another 2 to 4 inches in areas such as Fort Collins, Boulder, Denver and Castle Rock.
In Denver, slick roads drove travel problems as commuters dealt with slush. The Colorado State Patrol reported a few crashes but did not report serious injuries, while forecasters warned that snow-loaded tree limbs could snap. The weather service’s Denver office posted the guidance to “Avoid parking under trees.”
In an AP interview, National Weather Service forecaster Dave Barjenbruch said the snow had impacted power lines in the region. The weather service also said parts of the area could continue to see light snow and rain on Thursday, with temperatures expected to trend warmer, including highs in the mid 70s Fahrenheit in Denver by the weekend.
The storm’s timing led some residents to treat it as both a disruption and an unexpected reprieve. Estes Park, near Rocky Mountain National Park, saw between 22 inches and more than 30 inches of snow, the weather service said. Kathy Ross, an Estes Park resident, described Wednesday as a day spent shoveling—saying enough snow had fallen in her yard to clear the head of her Boston terrier mix and noting that the view of the mountains was “spectacular” if someone likes “the color white.”
In Boulder, officials reported that some areas received about a foot of snow and warned about downed trees and branches. Denver recorded one of its biggest snowfalls of the season at Denver International Airport, where the total reached 5.8 inches after early flight delays and cancellations, according to the weather service.
The weather also affected daily routines beyond commutes. Denver Public Schools—the largest K-12 district in Colorado—canceled Wednesday classes along with other districts on the Front Range. Parents and children turned the unusual May weather into a snow day activity, including at Nettie Moore Playground on Denver’s west side, a sledding spot where a hill slopes into a dry gulch; Fern Garstka, 8, joined in after her parents required her to “go outside and shake the snow off of the trees,” she said.
While heavy, wet snow made conditions less ideal for sledding, Andy Flinn said his two young sons were still happy to get runs in after “an exceptionally dry winter.” He said, “Every little bit helps. Whether it’s snow or rain, we’ll take it.”
Forecasters framed the precipitation as helpful amid drought stress. The AP reported that April had been warmer and drier than usual in Denver, with the city missing an inch of rain and 2.8 inches of snow in the month. Adam Jones, of Unsung Family Farms in Longmont, said he planted carrot seeds just days earlier to take advantage of the precipitation, adding that “There’s nothing like starting seeds with snow or water,” and describing efforts to move more delicate crops indoors and use a heater.
Beyond Colorado, the unsettled weather stretched into the broader forecast, with severe thunderstorms possible across parts of the Southeast on Wednesday, including areas from Arkansas through Georgia. Locally, the storm also affected plans for entertainment and sports: organizers moved the start time of an outdoor David Guetta concert at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Tuesday night, and the Colorado Rockies postponed two games against the New York Mets, according to the report.
McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Associated Press journalists Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles, Savannah Peters in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Thomas Peipert in Denver contributed to the story.