Winter is over for most of us but residents of Colorado and Wyoming got a surprise snowstorm just in time for Mother’s Day. The weather has been unstable in the area for weeks and meteorologists warned that the weather pattern could bring tornados and thunderstorms before the snow.

On Sunday, both Colorado and Wyoming received over a foot of snow, making it difficult for many Mother’s Day travelers to get to their destinations in a timely manner.

Before the snow storm swept through, meteorologists at the National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for most of northern Colorado and parts of southern Wyoming for all of Sunday and for Monday morning.

Meteorologists say that although the weather seems strange, it is actually common this time of year and northern Colorado and Wyoming will see similar conditions throughout June.

“May snow certainly isn’t unheard of here in Colorado, even down in the Denver metro area,” said David Barjenbruch, a weather service meteorologist in Boulder. “If we see the total accumulations that we are anticipating from this storm, we are certainly going to see a top 10 May snow event for the Denver metro area.”

Areas south of Colorado and Wyoming did not get any snow Sunday or Monday, but Thunderstorms were scattered throughout Nebraska and high winds were experienced in many other states out west.

The Kolob Canyons Road has reopened after a temporary closure due to a spring snowstorm. pic.twitter.com/O2kW1oktUH

— Zion National Park (@ZionNPS) May 12, 2014

The storm is the result of a low-pressure system moving east colliding with a cold air mass from the north. Warm weather should return Tuesday. As the snow melts, it could cause flooding in some areas. A flood warning has been issued to residents in both states.

What do you think of the spring snowstorm?

Image via Wikimedia Commons