Spring snow in the Rockies

A Spring snow in the Rockies surprise storm buried sections of Colorado with as much as 61 centimeters (24 inches) of snow on April 10, 2005. According to the Associated Press, the spring storm cancelled flights and closed a major interstate highway, stranding travelers. The Terra MODIS instrument captured this view of the fresh snow on April 12, 2005. The Rocky Mountains in the center of the state had already been covered with a coating of snow, but the plains to the east are also now white. Denver, the capital of Colorado, forms a dark circle in the snow near the base of the mountains. The city reported 30 cm (12 inches) of snow.