Spring plans meet snow in Denver as a late storm could be the season’s biggest

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — While some Americans were gazing at tulips and mowing lawns, residents of Colorado and Wyoming were getting out their snow shovels.

A late snowstorm swept through the Rocky Mountains and High Plains Tuesday, bringing heavy, wet accumulation from north of Denver into southeastern Wyoming.

In Fort Collins, Colorado, heavy snow fell throughout the day on ground still too warm for significant accumulation. Melting snow clung to leaves, grass and flowers, and homeowners turned off their garden sprinklers for fear that subzero temperatures would damage their plumbing.

Boulder, nestled against the mountains, could see up to 30 centimeters of snow. While the Denver area saw mostly rain Tuesday, it turned to snow by early evening. Forecasts call for up to 8 inches (20 centimeters) of snow through Wednesday.

Even as Denver imposed restrictions on watering lawns to deal with lower mountain snowfall, the city was facing what could be its heaviest snowfall of the season.

“We just had our driest winter on record,” said Kenley Bonner, a meteorologist with the Weather Service office in Denver. “We joked earlier in the season that winter wouldn’t come until spring, and that’s exactly what happened.”

More accumulation was expected with temperatures plunging overnight and the heaviest snowfall continuing into Wednesday morning. Warmer temperatures are expected to return Thursday, the National Weather Service said.

The state’s largest school district, Denver Public Schools, and other major area districts and middle schools canceled Wednesday classes due to the weather.

Accumulating snow could break tree branches and knock out power, Bonner said. Utilities were preparing, with Xcel Energy putting 165 employees on standby across the state.

Highways remained open Tuesday for the moment. Interstate 80 through southern Wyoming, including a high-elevation stretch between Cheyenne and Laramie that closes often, was open but webcams showed heavy snow.

Others along northern Colorado mountain highways also showed deteriorating conditions.

The ominous forecast did not deter thousands from attending David Guetta’s show at Red Rocks Amphitheater, although organizers moved up the start time by an hour in hopes of getting fans home before the worst of the storm.

Spectators bundled up in winter coats and fur hats lined up to enter the outdoor venue.

The forecast is somewhat unusual but not uncommon.

Denver typically experiences its last snowfall around April 28, although storms can occur in May. The Mile High City recorded half an inch of snow (1.2 centimeters) on May 21, 2022, while nearby Boulder received 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters).

Historically, Denver has experienced at least five May storms with snowfall of more than 10 inches (25 centimeters). The largest, in 1893, fell 15.5 inches (39.3 centimeters). The city’s most recent double-digit snowfall was May 25-26, 1950, with 10.7 inches (27 centimeters).

A light dusting on June 2, 1951 was the last time that year it snowed.

The worsening storm caused the Colorado Rockies to postpone two games against the New York Mets. But it happens most often during Denver’s spring baseball season, including four times in 2015, according to MLB.

May snows are even more common in Cheyenne, Wyoming’s capital, which is nearly 1,000 feet (300 meters) higher than Denver and cooler all year round. Wyoming is also windier than Colorado, pushing snow into drifts that must be cleared if gusts persist.

April was warmer than usual and little precipitation, with Denver missing an inch of rain (2.5 centimeters) and 2.8 inches of snow (7 centimeters) last month compared to normal.

For some farmers, who felt the pressure of Colorado’s lingering drought, the snow was an opportunity.

Adam Jones, who runs Unsung Family Farms in Longmont, told KMGH-TV he planted carrot seeds a few days ago to take advantage of the rainfall.

“You can’t get that even distribution with drippers or sprinklers,” he said. “There’s nothing like starting seeds with snow or water.”

Jones, however, had to move the most weather-sensitive crops indoors, with a heater to keep them warm.

But a single storm won’t solve the West’s water problems.

A report from the National Drought Mitigation Center says recent rainfall has helped increase topsoil moisture and reduced irrigation demand, but has not changed the “rather gloomy” water outlook heading into summer.

Wildfires also thrive in dry conditions. Firefighters across the West are turning to artificial intelligence and other technologies to detect small fires before they spread.

Unsettled weather isn’t limited to the Rockies.

Thunderstorms are expected from northeast Texas to west Tennessee, with Arkansas facing the greatest risk of large hail, damaging winds and possible tornadoes, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Isolated strong storms could also reach parts of the Northeast.

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McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire. AP reporter Jaimie Ding contributed from Los Angeles.