Surprise Spring Snowstorm Shuts Down Roads—Live Updates, Forecast & Safety Tips

A powerful late-season snowstorm slammed the central Rockies this week, burying northern Colorado and southeastern Wyoming under the deepest May snowfall in decades. Driven by a potent jet-stream dip and upslope winds along a sharp cold front, the spring system dropped more than 30 inches in the foothills near Rocky Mountain National Park, including an eye-popping 33.9″ outside Estes Park. Key snow totals and impacts • Cheyenne, WY: 11.6″—its heaviest storm of the entire winter and the biggest May hit since 1978, shutting down a 70-mile stretch of I-80. • Denver International Airport: 5.8″—largest May snowfall since 2003 and the sixth-biggest two-day May storm on record. • Boulder, CO: 11.0″ with widespread tree damage from heavy, wet cement-like flakes. • 50,000+ customers lost power at the height of the storm as weighted limbs snapped power lines across the Front Range. Why May snow in the Rockies isn’t rare—but this storm is exceptional Mile-high elevations mean Denver and Cheyenne typically average 1–3″ of snow in May, yet triple-digit drought-driven deficits had dominated the 2025-26 season until now. Colorado’s snowpack has hovered near record-low water content since January, making a single 2- to 3-foot dump both welcome for reservoirs and worrisome for rapid melt flooding later this month. Travel and sports scramble Road crews raced to clear I-25 north of Denver while Coors Field’s grounds crew scraped every flake off the diamond in time for the Rockies–Mets matchup, a testament to Colorado’s “four-seasons-in-a-day” resiliency. Mountain passes remain slick; chains are still required on parts of US-34 and Trail Ridge Road. Forecast: One more freeze before the thaw The departing low will keep overnight lows below freezing through Friday morning, raising concerns for budding fruit trees along the urban corridor. A faster warm-up begins this weekend, accelerating snowmelt that could swell the Cache la Poudre and Big Thompson Rivers. Safety checklist for late-spring snow events • Clear roof edges and decks to prevent structural strain from heavy, water-laden snow. • Stay off roads until plows finish a full pass; black ice lingers even under strong May sun. • Keep phones charged and an emergency kit handy as tree-related outages can last hours. • Monitor river stage forecasts daily—rapid melt can trigger flash flooding without fresh rainfall. Climate context Scientists caution that climate change can stretch winter’s bookends—producing less frequent but more intense late-season storms fueled by warmer, moisture-rich air masses colliding with lingering Arctic outbreaks. This week’s three-foot wallop after a historic snow-scarce winter is a textbook example, underscoring the West’s growing precipitation whiplash. With bluebird skies returning, the Rockies now face a quick pivot from blizzard cleanup to flood vigilance. Residents are urged to enjoy the postcard scenery—then shovel, sweep gutters, and stay weather-aware as spring finally tries to settle in.