A late spring snowstorm slams Colorado, closing schools and disrupting commuters
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — A late-spring snowstorm that began in parts of Colorado on Wednesday closed schools, delayed flights and created slushy conditions for commuters.
Storm, which crossed the Rocky Mountains Tuesday’s precipitation toward the High Plains was expected to taper off before wrapping up Wednesday afternoon, but not before dumping heavy, wet snow on higher elevations.
The National Weather Service said a winter storm warning was in effect through the afternoon and an additional 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of snow was expected in Fort Collins, Boulder, the Denver metro area and Castle Rock.
“We expect roads to be slick during heavy snowfall, but road debris will melt quickly as snowfall decreases at lower elevations,” the weather office in Denver said in an online post Wednesday.
The storm dumped more than 12 inches of snow in parts of Colorado
The small Colorado mountain town of Jamestown, near Boulder, recorded 16.3 inches (41.4 centimeters) of snow early Wednesday, the weather service said. Estes Park, near Rocky Mountain National Park, reported 17 inches (43 centimeters) of snow as of Tuesday night.
Municipal officials in Boulder, which was covered with about 15 centimeters of snow by the end of Tuesday, advised citizens about fallen trees and branches and encouraged them to avoid being under or near places with heavy snow accumulation.
Denver was facing perhaps its biggest snowfall of the season. Denver International Airport, which experienced some delays and cancellations early Wednesday, had recorded 3.7 inches (9.3 centimeters) of snow by 2 a.m., the weather service said.
Temperatures also dropped. With temperatures in the low 30s Wednesday morning, Denver has activated its cold-weather sheltering plan.
The meteorologist said that hot weather is expected to start again on Thursday.
Denver Public Schools, the state’s largest school district, and other major districts and colleges in the area canceled classes on Wednesday due to severe weather.
That ominous forecast didn’t stop thousands of people from attending the David Guetta show at Red Rocks Amphitheater on Tuesday night, but organizers moved the start time up an hour in hopes of getting fans home before the worst of the storm.
Concertgoers wrapped themselves in fuzzy winter coats and beanies and lined up to enter the open-air venue.
The storm caused the Colorado Rockies rescheduling two games against the New York Mets. But according to MLB, this situation is happening more frequently during Denver’s spring baseball season, including four times in 2015.
May snowfalls are not unheard of in Colorado. They are even more common in Cheyenne, Wyoming’s capital, which is almost 1,000 feet higher than Denver and cooler year-round. Wyoming is also windier than Colorado, and snow is pushed into snowdrifts that need to be cleared again if high winds continue.
Storm is welcomed during drought
April was warmer than normal and rainfall was short; Denver was missing an inch of rain (2.5 centimeters) and 2.8 inches of snow (7 centimeters) from normal last month.
For some farmers feeling the pinch from Colorado ongoing droughtsnow was an opportunity.
Adam Jones, who runs Unsung Family Farms in Longmont, told KMGH-TV he planted carrot seeds days ago to take advantage of the rainfall.
“You can’t get that even distribution with drip irrigation pipes or sprinklers,” he said. “There’s nothing like starting seeds with snow or water.”
But Jones had to move the more weather-sensitive crops indoors, along with a heater to keep them warm.
There are storms elsewhere too
Unsettled weather isn’t limited to the Rockies.
Severe thunderstorms with tornado risk were possible in the Southeast on Wednesday.
Some of the strongest storms were expected from Arkansas into Georgia.
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McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire. AP reporter Jaimie Ding contributed from Los Angeles.
