By
The Associated Press
DENVER - A powerful spring storm shut down parts of Colorado, Wyoming and the eastern Plains yesterday as heavy, wet snow and high winds knocked out power, snarled traffic and grounded air travel.
The storm forced the closure of Denver International Airport, parts of major interstates, school districts, and many government offices and businesses.
"It's the worst storm of the season, there's no question about it," said Dan Hopkins of the Colorado Department of Transportation. "When you have winds like this with the heavy snow, that's when you really have problems."
Dozens of truckers sought refuge at the Little America Hotel and Resort service station in Cheyenne, Wyo., after Interstate 80 was closed.
Ahna Roberts, a cashier at the resort's service station, said the storm was the first in a long time that she could recall in April. "I just came in this morning - barely," she said.
The storm was part of a weather system that spread a line of severe thunderstorms across the eastern Plains, with tornadoes, hail and high wind causing damage early yesterday from Texas to Nebraska.
In Colorado, it caused the worst disruption since an October 1997 blizzard that left 10 dead and killed 30,000 head of livestock.
Up to 18 inches of snow fell along the Front Range and winds gusted to 70 mph, heaping snow into deep drifts.
Denver International Airport was shut down before dawn to avoid the chaos that struck during the 1997 blizzard when thousands of passengers were stranded there overnight, said airport spokesman Chuck Cannon.
City crews used a military-style armored personnel carrier to assist motorists stuck in the snow along Pena Boulevard, the airport's main access route.
In Denver, all public schools were closed for the first time in more than six years, said school district spokesman Mark Stevens.
About 50,000 people were without power for a time yesterday morning because of the storm, an Xcel Energy spokesman said.
Interstate 25 was closed from Colorado Springs to the southern Denver area, and from Wellington to the Wyoming line. Interstate 70 was closed from Aurora to Burlington on the edge of eastern Colorado.
Bicycle messenger Tom Schaefer, bundled from head to toe, maneuvered his bike through slushy snow on downtown streets. "It's not fun, but everything goes on pretty much as normal," he said. "It's wet. That's for sure."
To the north, up to a foot of snow fell in Wyoming. Strong north winds gusting up to 40 mph whipped up drifts, creating near blizzard conditions and scattered power outages.
The storm clogged roads and highways, including a 90-mile stretch of Interstate 80 between Laramie and the Nebraska state line and Interstate 25 south out of Cheyenne to Colorado.
Several traffic accidents were reported before I-80 was closed. A car slammed into a parked highway trooper's vehicle and a tow truck, slightly injuring one person.
Property damage was widespread in Nebraska as tornado-like winds snapped power poles in half and toppled buildings. Only minor injuries were reported.
"I haven't been out to check all the damage since my car is stuck in the garage ... under the tree," said Diane Stone, who lives two miles west of Endicott, Neb.
Virginia, Neb., a town of 95 in Gage County, was one of the hardest hit communities. Pieces of roof and other debris littered yards and streets after the storm hit. The roof of the American Legion Club was blown off and the town's only restaurant, sustained about $60,000 in damage.
"It's scary, very scary," said Bill Eacret, who was sleeping in his home when the storm hit. "It's something a person never wants to experience again."
