Denver Faces Winter Storm Warning With Heavy Wet Snow Tonight Through Wednesday Lunchtime Bringing Tree Damage and Power Outages Across the Metro
DENVER, COLORADO — Denver is now under a Winter Storm Warning as heavy wet snow targets the metro area tonight through Wednesday, May 7, 2026, with the heaviest snow expected to continue right through the Wednesday lunchtime period before winding down. Tree damage and widespread power outages are a significant concern given full leaf-out across the region, and the Wednesday morning commute will be directly impacted.
Warning Zone Covers Denver and Surrounding Colorado Counties
The NWS hazards map updated at 4:39 AM EDT Tuesday, May 5 shows the following alerts in place across Colorado:
- Winter Storm Warning — pink zone covering Denver, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Pueblo and surrounding Front Range counties
- Winter Storm Watch — purple zone covering the high mountain counties and western slope including Rock Springs and Cheyenne areas
- Winter Weather Advisory — cyan zone covering the eastern Plains corridor extending toward the Kansas border including Garden City
Snowfall Totals Through Thursday 2AM EDT
Model guidance valid Thursday, May 7 at 2:00 AM EDT shows total snowfall reaching a maximum of 36.5 inches across the highest mountain zones west of Denver, with deep pink and magenta shading indicating the most extreme accumulations. Key totals across the broader zone:
| Zone | Snowfall Forecast |
|---|---|
| Highest mountain peaks | Up to 36.5 inches |
| Central mountain corridor | 19 to 27 inches |
| Denver metro roads | Significant accumulation tonight into Wednesday |
| Eastern Plains fringe | 3 to 5 inches |
Three Critical Threats for Denver Metro Wednesday
- Tree damage — full leaf-out means heavy wet snow will load onto leafed out trees causing widespread branch breakage
- Power outages — downed trees and branches will interrupt power across many areas of the metro
- Wednesday AM commute — road conditions will be hazardous through the morning with heaviest snow continuing into the lunchtime period
The main event for the metro begins tonight and carries directly into the Wednesday morning rush hour. Snowfall rate before sunrise will be a key factor in determining how severe road conditions become. Plan on travel delays and power interruptions throughout Wednesday.
Stay with CabarrusWeekly.com for live Denver Winter Storm Warning updates through Wednesday May 7.
