Colorado slammed by snowstorm by Sean Batty
Colorado had a jump start to its ski season on Thursday as the most intense October snowstorm to hit the state in several years swept through.
While ski centre bosses were jumping for joy as the season got well and truly into swing, the snow brought state-wide chaos as roads were closed and major delays were incurred on transport.
Around 100 flights were cancelled at Denver International Airport as the snow came down too fast to clear. By the end of the day 5 inches (12.7cm) had fallen at the airport. The snow was reported to have been falling at a rate of 3 inches (7.6cm) per hour, with the suburbs of Denver reporting an incredible 10 inches (25.4cm) of lying snow by the end of Thursday.
Small towns in the mountains to the west of Denver seemed to receive the heaviest falls, with the town of Evergreen reporting an astonishing 25 inches (63.5cm) of snow, while Conifer reported 22 inches (55.9cm), or just over half a metre.
Snow laden trees came crashing down onto roads and railways causing chaos, while power lines strained and snapped under the weight of the heavy wet snow. Power was cut to nearly 50,000 houses in Denver, Colorado Springs and Boulder.
The heavy snow came as great news for farmers and the agricultural industry that rely on snowmelt to supply the rivers with water during the spring months, which is used to irrigate their fields. So the more snow that falls during the snowy season gives them more water to use.
Avalanche experts have warned that people living at the foot of the mountains should be aware that avalanches are now a possibility since a heavy snowfall left a loosely bound layer of snow under this recent snow, meaning it could slip downhill.
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