FORT COLLINS, COLORADO — While some Americans were gazing at tulips and mowing lawns, people in Colorado and Wyoming were getting out their snow shovels.
A late snowstorm swept through the Rocky Mountains and high Plains on Tuesday, bringing heavy moisture accumulation north of Denver into southeastern Wyoming.
In Fort Collins, Colorado, heavy snow fell all day on ground that was still too warm to accumulate significantly. Melting snow clung to leaves, grass and flowers, and homeowners turned off yard sprinklers for fear that the low temperatures would damage their plumbing.
Boulder, which lies against the mountains, can get up to a foot (30 cm) of snow. While the Denver area saw heavy rain on Tuesday, it turned to snow by early evening. The forecast calls for up to 8 inches (20 cm) of snow through Wednesday.
Even as Denver imposed lawn watering restrictions to address what happened Low mountain snowThe city was facing what could be its biggest snowfall of the season.
“We just had it The driest winter “We had it on record. We were kind of joking earlier in the season that winter wouldn’t come until spring, and that’s exactly what happened,” said Kenley Bonner, a meteorologist at the Weather Service’s office in Denver.
More accumulation is expected as temperatures drop overnight and heavy snowfall continues until Wednesday morning. The National Weather Service said warm temperatures were expected to return on Thursday.
The state’s largest school district, Denver Public Schools, and other major district and colleges in the area canceled classes Wednesday due to inclement weather.
Accumulating snow can snap tree branches and lead to power outages, Bonner said. Utilities were preparing, with Xcel Energy putting 165 employees on standby across the state.
Highways remained open Tuesday for now. Interstate 80 through southern Wyoming, including the often-closed elevated stretch between Cheyenne and Laramie, was open but Webcams showed Heavy snowfall.
Others along mountain highways in northern Colorado also showed deteriorating conditions.
The ominous forecast did not deter thousands from attending David Guetta’s show at the Red Rocks Theatre, although organizers moved up the start time by an hour in the hope of getting fans home before the worst of the storm.
Concertgoers wore winter coats and beanies as they waited in line to enter the outdoor venue.
The predictions are somewhat unusual but not unheard of.
Denver typically sees its last snowfall around April 28, although storms do occur in May. The Mile High City recorded half an inch (1.2 cm) of snow on May 21, 2022, while nearby Boulder recorded 4.5 inches (11.4 cm).
Historically, Denver has seen at least five storms in May with more than 10 inches (25 cm) of snowfall. The largest, in 1893, fell by 15.5 inches (39.3 cm). The city’s most recent snowfall was in double digits from May 25 to 26, 1950, with 10.7 inches (27 cm).
The light dusting that occurred on June 2, 1951 was the last time it snowed for the year.
The worsening storm caused the Colorado Rockies to collapse Rescheduling 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 more common in Wyoming’s capital Cheyenne, which is about 1,000 feet (300 m) higher than Denver and cooler year-round. Wyoming is also windier than Colorado, pushing snow into drifts that must be re-plowed if winds persist.
April was warmer than normal and less rainy, with Denver losing an inch of rain (2.5 cm) and 2.8 inches of snow (7 cm) last month compared to normal.
For some farmers, feeling the pressures of Colorado’s persistent drought, the snow was an opportunity.
Adam Jones, who runs Unsung Family Farms in Longmont, told KMGH-TV he planted the carrot seeds days earlier to take advantage of the rainfall.
“You can’t get an even distribution using drip lines or sprinklers,” he said. “There’s nothing better than starting seeds with ice or water.”
Jones had to move the more weather-sensitive crops indoors with a heater to keep them warm.
But one storm won’t solve the West’s water problems.
A report from the National Drought Mitigation Center said recent rainfall helped increase topsoil moisture and reduce irrigation demand, but did not change the “mostly bleak” water forecast heading into summer.
Forest fires also thrive in dry conditions. Firefighters all over the West are turning to artificial intelligence And other techniques to extinguish small fires before they expand.
Unstable weather isn’t limited to the Rocky Mountains.
Thunderstorms are expected from northeast Texas to western Tennessee, with Arkansas facing the greatest risk of large hail, damaging winds and possible tornadoes, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Isolated strong storms are also possible in parts of the Northeast.
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McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire. AP reporter Jamie Ding contributed from Los Angeles.