A late spring snowstorm slams Colorado, closing schools and disrupting commuters

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — A late spring snowstorm picked up over parts of Colorado on Wednesday, closing schools, delaying flights and creating slushy conditions for commuters.

The storm, which swept over the Rocky Mountains and into the High Plains on Tuesday, was expected to weaken before wrapping up Wednesday afternoon, but not before leaving some heavy, wet snow in higher elevations.

A winter storm warning was in effect through the afternoon, with an additional 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 centimeters) of snow expected in Fort Collins, Boulder, the Denver metro area and Castle Rock, the National Weather Service said.

“We expect roads to be slick during heavier snow showers, but for the lower elevations, any road accumulations will melt quickly as snow showers subside,” the weather service office in Denver posted online Wednesday.

The small mountain town of Jamestown, Colorado, near Boulder recorded 16.3 inches (41.4 centimeters) of snow as of early Wednesday, the weather service said. Estes Park, near Rocky Mountain National Park, reported 17 inches (43 centimeters) of snow as of Tuesday night.

City officials in Boulder, which got nearly 6 inches of snow (15 centimeters) as of the end of the day Tuesday, advised residents of downed trees and branches, encouraging them to avoid being under or close to those with heavy snow accumulation.

Denver was facing what may be its biggest snowfall of the season. The Denver International Airport, which experienced some delays and cancellations early Wednesday, recorded 3.7 inches (9.3 centimeters) of snow by 2 a.m., the weather service said.

Temperatures also plunged. Denver, which was in the low 30s Wednesday morning, activated its cold weather shelter plan.

Warmer temperatures are expected to return Thursday, the weather service said.

The state's largest school district, Denver Public Schools, and other major districts and colleges in the region canceled Wednesday classes due to severe weather.

The ominous forecast did not deter thousands from attending the David Guetta show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Tuesday night, though organizers moved the start time up by an hour in hopes of getting fans home before the worst of the storm.

Concertgoers bundled up in furry winter coats and beanies while waiting in line to enter the outdoor venue.

The storm caused the Colorado Rockies to reschedule two games against the New York Mets. But that happens more often than not during Denver's spring baseball season, including four times in 2015, according to MLB.

May snows are not unheard of in Colorado. They are even more common in the Wyoming capital of Cheyenne, which is almost 1,000 feet (300 meters) higher than Denver and cooler year-round. Wyoming is also windier than Colorado, pushing snow into drifts that must be re-plowed if gusts persist.

April was warmer than usual and short on precipitation, with Denver missing an inch of rain (2.5 centimeters) and 2.8 inches of snow (7 centimeters) last month compared to normal.

For some farmers, who have felt the pressure from Colorado's ongoing drought, the snow was an opportunity.

Adam Jones, who runs Unsung Family Farms in Longmont, told KMGH-TV that he had planted carrot seeds days before to take advantage of the precipitation.

“You can’t get as even distribution with driplines or sprinklers,” he said. “There’s nothing like starting seeds with snow or water.”

Jones had to move the more weather-sensitive crops inside, however, with a heater to keep them warm.

The unsettled weather isn’t limited to the Rockies.

Severe thunderstorms with a risk of tornadoes were possible across the Southeast on Wednesday.

Some of the strongest storms were expected from Arkansas through Georgia.

McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire. AP reporter Jaimie Ding contributed from Los Angeles.

Wet snow falls on flowers Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Fort Collins, Colo. (AP Photo/Mead Gruver)

Wet snow falls on flowers Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Fort Collins, Colo. (AP Photo/Mead Gruver)

Wet snow falls on flowers Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Fort Collins, Colo. (AP Photo/Mead Gruver)

Hockey fans head into Ball Arena as a spring snow storm sweeps over the intermountain West before the first period of Game 2 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series between the Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild Tuesday, May 5, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — The players struck their crutches against each other as they chased a soccer ball, as well as a larger dream of competing at the global level. Children shrieked in joy as they watched a goalie dive to block an attempt with her remaining hand.

Amputee football, a seven-a-side version of the game in which players roam the field on crutches and goalkeepers have one arm, has grown steadily in Rwanda over the past decade. Players say they have found a community on the field after embracing a sport some never imagined they could play. For many, it offers not only physical rehabilitation but also a sense of belonging.

In the capital Kigali, amputees play to foster healing and social cohesion after traumas that include the country's darkest period: the 1994 genocide, in which about 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were massacred by the majority Hutu population over a 100-day period.

Nyiraneza Solange was born two years after the genocide and lost her leg at the age of 5 after falling and developing an infection. She said the resilience shown by people who lost limbs during the genocide attracted her to amputee football.

She was encouraged by the former coach of the country's first amputee football team, who told her she could use her crutches to play. She quickly left any fear behind.

“I don’t even think about I don’t have a leg,” said Solange, explaining that she feels free while playing and has overcome the stigma that accompanies being an amputee.

Rwanda is estimated to have more than 3,000 lower-limb amputees. Some are victims of the genocide. Others are survivors of road accidents or illness.

Louise Kwizera, the vice president of the Rwanda Amputee Football Federation, said the sport enables players to learn to trust again, building unity in a society that “was once divided.”

“In communities affected by conflict or trauma, the playing field becomes a place of peace. People who may have different pasts come together as teammates,” Kwizera told The Associated Press.

Rwanda hopes to take part next year in the second women’s amputee football World Cup, an invitational event expected to be held in Poland or Brazil. Rwanda was represented by only a single player at the first edition of the competition in 2024.

The sport, governed by the World Amputee Football Federation, is played in more than 50 countries. Rwanda now has five women’s professional teams and 10 for men.

Haitian women’s amputee football team manager Fred Sorrels, who visited Rwanda to help develop the local program, said he was rooting for the East African country to host a World Cup. But the country's sports ministry said it has yet to make a formal bid.

Sorrels said he has seen the benefits of the sport.

“It’s a win psychologically and mentally for these ladies to have an opportunity to experience wholeness and wellness again,” he said.

Gilbert Muvunyi Manier, the Rwandan sports ministry's director general of sports development, called the sport a “powerful tool” for healing, reconciliation and social cohesion.

Players acknowledged limitations in strategy.

“It’s hard to save the ball when it goes to the side with the receding hand,” goalkeeper Nikuze Angelique said. Like Solange, she described a sense of community found on the field.

As players took selfies after a game, Angelique said she is hopeful they will reach the World Cup.

“It will be a dream come true,” she said.

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Soccer players on the Rwanda Amputee team play in Kigali, Rwanda, on Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A soccer player on the Rwanda Amputee team takes part in a training session in Kigali, Rwanda, on Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Soccer players on the Rwanda Amputee team pose for a selfie after a training session in Kigali, Rwanda, on Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Soccer players on the Rwanda Amputee team take part in a training session in Kigali, Rwanda, on Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Soccer players on the Rwanda Amputee team take part in a training session in Kigali, Rwanda, on Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Soccer players on the Rwanda Amputee team play in Kigali, Rwanda, on Friday, March 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)