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Power outages after May snow
Colorado’s Front Range was hit by a late-season snowstorm that left tens of thousands without power, with the Denver metro facing slick roads and additional snowfall as the system moved through the state. The Denver Post said that as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, 55,117 Xcel Energy customers were dark, including roughly 3,000 customers in Adams County, 3,500 in Denver, and 16,500 in Boulder County. Colorado Public Radio reported that the storm brought several inches of heavy, wet snow overnight, and at Denver International Airport about 3.7 inches had fallen as of 6 a.m. The same CPR report said the snowfall was predicted to let up by the afternoon, but a drop in temperatures could lead to a hard freeze Thursday morning.
“As of 9 a.m., 55,117 Xcel Energy customers were dark”
Warnings, plows, and freeze
The Watchers described the storm as affecting Colorado’s Front Range, foothills, mountains, and the I-25 urban corridor from Tuesday, May 5, into Wednesday, May 6, 2026, with NWS winter storm warnings covering the I-25 corridor from 20:00 MDT Tuesday to 15:00 MDT Wednesday. Colorado Public Radio said the National Weather Service warned that parts of Boulder, Larimer and Grand counties remained under a winter storm warning until 3 p.m., where an additional 3 to 8 inches of snow was possible. CPR also reported that Slick Roads Colorado Department of Transportation officials said about 100 plows were working statewide today, prioritizing interstates and major roadways before moving to secondary streets. CPR added that a freeze warning was in effect from 8 p.m. Wednesday to 8 a.m. Thursday, with overnight lows dipping into the mid-20s in metro Denver.
Forecast totals and impacts
Forecasts varied across the region, with The Coloradoan saying the National Weather Service increased forecast snowfall totals for the Front Range foothills and urban corridor as the storm intensified. It listed totals ranging from 4-7 inches for Denver to 6-10 inches for Boulder and Castle Rock, while mountain areas were forecast higher, including Red Feather Lakes at 19-29 inches and Estes Park at 13-23 inches. The Watchers said the NWS forecast included 13-20 cm (5-8 inches) along the I-25 corridor and local totals up to 30 cm (12 inches) near the foothills and Palmer Divide. In its discussion of consequences, The Watchers quoted NWS forecaster Blanco-Alcala saying, "Snowfall is expected to remain very wet, dense, and heavy, which could lead to tree and power line damage," and it warned that a widespread hard freeze would follow as snowfall winds down.
“Red Feather Lakes: 19-29 inches”
