SPOKANE, Wash.—A fall snowstorm is snarling traffic and causing power outages in the Rocky Mountains as it slowly moves across the northern U.S. toward the Great Plains.
Winter storm watches and warnings stretched from eastern Washington state to Minnesota, along with freeze warnings as far south as Colorado and Nebraska on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
In Spokane, wet, heavy snow snapped tree branches and took out power lines. Avista Utilities was restoring power to 32,000 customers Wednesday.
Driving conditions are deteriorating across Montana and northern Wyoming as ice and blowing snow covered roadways.
Up to 2 feet of snow is expected to fall in the mountains, and up to a foot in lower-elevation towns and cities.
The storm is expected to bring the first snow of the season to Denver by Thursday.
Snowstorm Hits Perfect Fall Wedding
Although recent snowstorms have caused power outages, sometimes snowstorms can be a blessing.
For 11 months, Brittany and Sean Tuohy had planned what they thought would be the perfect fall wedding. The couple booked a venue in Spokane, Washington, for Sept. 28, hoping it would be a pleasant day.
The bride lost her veil in the wind. A bridesmaid face-planted in the snow. Nearly 20 guests couldn’t make it.
Brittany checked the weather for three months. The forecast always said it would be 75 and sunny, the weather every bride hopes for.
But that sun turned to rain a week before their wedding. And then it turned to snow.
It wasn’t the kind of snow that falls gracefully from the sky, though. It was a full-blown snowstorm, with heavy winds, lots of ice, and pelting snow.
“When the snow started falling, there were a lot of emotions,” Brittany said. “As soon as we were about to take the photos, it got bad.”
“It was definitely worth it,” Brittany said. “There were times I told my friends I wanted a winter wedding. … I didn’t plan for it, but I guess Mother Nature just knew.”
The CNN Wire contributed to this report.
