Colorado Governor Declares State Of Emergency

DENVER (AP) - Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard in the wake of a major spring storm that's dumped heavy snow across his state.

Winter conditions persisted into the night as the storm moved to the southeast toward Kansas and Oklahoma.

Airlines canceled hundreds of flights at the Denver airport, schools shut down and roads were closed as the storm brought heavy snow and gusty winds to much of Colorado.

Forecasters predict up to 2 feet of snow south and east of Denver by Friday and up to 15 inches in the city itself.

The storm wasn't totally unwelcome. The snow was actually good news for some people after a dry winter marked by repeated brush fires and fire warnings.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.