Spring snow pelts Colorado, Wyoming

A spring storm dumped several inches of heavy, wet snow on Wyoming and Colorado on Saturday as storms hit several other states, although they weren't as severe as some of the week's turbulent weather.

Up to a foot of snow fell in the Colorado Rockies, and more snow was expected, according to the National Weather Service. Between 2 and 7 inches fell on cities on the eastern slope of the Rockies, including Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins, Colo. Laramie and Cheyenne, Wyo., received more than 5 inches.

Downed or sagging branches caused power outages that affected about 35,000 customers at one point in Colorado, said Xcel Energy spokesman Mark Stutz. More than 10,000 customers in the Denver area and Boulder were without power Saturday evening, according to Xcel.

The weather caused several crashes, including a three-vehicle collision in Rock Springs, Wyo., that killed a man. It was one of dozens of storm-related crashes along Wyoming's I-80 corridor.

The barrage of twisters that ripped across the nation's midsection marked the most active week of tornadoes on record, meteorologists said Saturday as they sized up a wave of storms that left 44 people dead from Kansas to Georgia.

The deadly tornadoes began early in the week in Missouri, Kansas and Tennessee, followed by two rounds of twisters near Oklahoma City Thursday and Friday.

On Saturday, at least one tornado touched down in Indiana. Torrential downpours flooded streets and fields and forced the postponement of Saturday's qualification for the Indianapolis 500.

A storm system also moved through Missouri, spawning tornadoes that overturned cars and downed power lines. No injuries or deaths were reported.

In Kentucky, 10 people were injured after a storm swept through the northeastern part of the state. The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in the area.

More than 100 people were injured in the Oklahoma City area by two tornadoes that struck Thursday and Friday night. But only a few were hospitalized Saturday, and one remained in critical condition.

President Bush issued a disaster declaration Saturday for Oklahoma, clearing the way for federal aid. Earlier in the week, he did the same for tornado-battered parts of Tennessee, Kansas and Missouri.

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