AURORA | While some folks east and west of here are gazing at tulips and mowing lawns, people in the metro area are getting out their snow shovels.
A late snowstorm is set to sweep over the Rocky Mountains and High Plains, bringing rain that’s expected to turn to snow in the metro area by Tuesday night, with up to 4 inches possible. Higher elevations might see as much as a foot , the National Weather Service says.
It could be the region’s biggest snowfall of the season.
“We just had our driest winter on record,” Kenley Bonner, a meteorologist in the weather service’s Denver office, said. “We were kind of joking earlier in the season that winter’s not going to come until spring, and it did exactly that.”
Aurora city officials said snow plows will be out in force overnight, nearly two dozen of them on the streets through Wednesday afternoon.
The city’s Cold Weather Activation Team will be on the streets in the evening, helping homeless people get transportation and shelter tonight.
Adults needing shelter can go to the Aurora Regional Navigation Campus, 15500 E. 40th Ave., Aurora spokesperson Joe Rubino said in a statement. Families can find shelter at the Comitis Crisis Center, 2178 Victor St.
Aurora police say take it slower if you’re out and about in the weather in a car.
“For drivers, it’s imperative to slow down and be mindful of others around you,” Aurora police spokesperson Katie Fisher said in a statement. “Use turn signals, windshield wipers, and keep your headlights on. If you are able, stay home and stay indoors to avoid the conditions.”
Delays and closures
• The Community College of Aurora will operate on a delayed start with remote operations on Wednesday across all campus locations, including CentreTech, Lowry and Centennial. Remote operations will continue throughout the day. On-campus evening classes and campus operations will resume beginning at 6 p.m.
• APS and Pickens Technical College will be closed Wednesday. All APS day and evening events and activities have also been cancelled tomorrow.
• Cherry Creek schools will be closed Wednesday, including before and after school activities.
Big snow and a fast drop in temperature
The snow is expected to continue into Wednesday, followed by plunging temperatures and a widespread freeze overnight, the weather service said.
All that heavy, wet snow could snap tree branches and knock out power, Bonner said. Utilities are preparing, with Xcel Energy putting 165 employees on standby across the state.
There might not be light
Xcel Energy is preparing for a significant snow tonight and possible power outages linked to the weather.
“An estimated 165 employees and crew members will be on standby across the state throughout the storm, to safely restore electric and natural gas service as quickly as possible,” Xcel Energy spokesperson Michelle Aguayo said in a statement.
Company officials offer these tips:
• Use space heaters carefully to prevent fires. Read all instructions and warning labels and verify that the heater is listed by a recognized testing laboratory. Avoid using heaters with cracked plugs or worn or damaged components. Never leave a space heater unattended. Turn it off when leaving a room or going to sleep.
• Stay away from downed or sagging power lines. Always assume an electric line, even one on the ground, is energized and dangerous.
• Keep a battery-powered flashlight handy in case the power unexpectedly goes out.
• Keep your cell phone charged.
• Make sure you have a manual can opener.
• Check out to ensure you first-aid kit is stocked.
If you have an outage, text OUT to 98936
Wait, snow in May?
The forecast is unusual, but not unheard of.
Denver typically sees its last snowfall around April 28, although May storms do happen. The “Mile High City” recorded half an inch of snow (1.2 centimeters) on May 21, 2022, while nearby Boulder got 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters).
Historically, Denver has seen at least five May storms with snowfall over 10 inches (25 centimeters). The biggest, in 1893, dropped 15.5 inches (39.3 centimeters). The city’s most recent double-digit snow was May 25-26, 1950, with 10.7 inches (27 centimeters).
A light dusting on June 2, 1951, was the latest time in the year it snowed.
The storm is welcome during a drought, but not a fix
April was warmer than usual and short on precipitation, with Denver missing an inch of rain and 2.8 inches of snow last month compared to normal.
But one storm won’t solve the West’s water problems.
A report from the National Drought Mitigation Center said recent precipitation helped boost topsoil moisture and reduced irrigation demands, but hasn’t changed a “mostly bleak” water outlook heading into the summer.
Storms elsewhere, too
The unsettled weather isn’t limited to the Rockies.
Thunderstorms are expected from northeast Texas into 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 could also reach parts of the Northeast.