- A rare May snowstorm has hammered Colorado and Wyoming, dropping up to 30 inches in some areas.
- Cheyenne recorded its heaviest snowfall of the entire season — more than any storm since March 2021.
- Around 56,000 homes and businesses lost power, mostly across the Denver metro area.
- Experts say this storm barely dents a historic snow drought that has gripped the Rockies all season.
DENVER, Colorado — Most people expect May to mean warmer days, blooming flowers, and the last of winter finally behind them.
Not this week in the Rockies.
A powerful May snowstorm has buried large parts of Colorado and Wyoming under nearly 30 inches of snow — catching residents off guard, shutting down major highways, and knocking out power for tens of thousands of people.
Cheyenne and Denver Got Hit Hard
Cheyenne, Wyoming, picked up 8.9 inches of snow — the heaviest single snowfall of the entire season and the most from any storm since March 2021, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm was serious enough to force a full shutdown of Interstate 80 in both directions between Laramie and Cheyenne. As of Wednesday morning, that stretch had reopened, though conditions remained slick.
Denver was not spared either.
Denver International Airport recorded 5.5 inches of snow through Wednesday morning. The NWS office in Boulder reported 10.7 inches — their heaviest May snowstorm in 13 years.
Meanwhile, Interstate 25 north of Denver toward Fort Collins saw snowy and slushy stretches, and parts of I-70 east of Denver became slippery as well.
Up to 30 Inches in the High Country
The mountains took an even bigger hit.
Up to 20 inches of snow fell in and around Rocky Mountain National Park. Nearby Estes Park saw over two feet pile up.
Drivers heading into the high country on I-70 from Vail eastward are being warned to expect full winter driving conditions. The heavy, wet nature of this snow made it especially dangerous — not just on the roads, but on trees and power lines.
56,000 Power Outages and Counting
The weight of the wet snow snapped branches and dragged down power lines across the region.
According to PowerOutage.com, roughly 56,000 outages were reported, concentrated mainly in the Denver metro area. Downed trees also blocked some local roads, creating additional hazards for morning commuters.
If you are traveling Wednesday, plan for extra time — especially in the foothills and high country where conditions remain challenging.
Is May Snow Really That Unusual Here?
For much of the country, yes. But in the Rockies, not really.
Both Denver and Cheyenne average 1 to 3 inches of May snowfall. Denver’s snowfall season technically runs nine months — from September all the way through May.
That said, this storm still stands out. Cheyenne’s all-time record for a single May snowstorm is 18.3 inches, set on May 5–6, 1978. Denver’s May record is 12.4 inches from that same storm.
This week’s totals are significant — but the records remain safe.
The Snow Drought Is Still Very Real
Here is the sobering part: even with all this snow, it barely moves the needle.
Colorado’s snowpack has been at or near record lows since mid-January — the worst snow drought in several decades across much of the mountain West.
Prior to this storm, Cheyenne had received only 17.5 inches of snow all season. That puts them nearly 43 inches below their seasonal average — the second lowest total on record since the 1880s.
The last time Cheyenne even picked up an inch of snow was three days before St. Patrick’s Day.
A few ski resorts, including Copper Mountain and Arapahoe Basin, are getting a welcome late-season boost. But for the broader region, the long-term snow deficit built up over months will take far more than one storm to fix.
Did the storm affect your area or your commute this week? Tell us what you saw in the comments below.
