United Airlines is bracing for increased delays and cancellations on Tuesday and Wednesday as a Rocky Mountain snowstorm moves into the region, and it has expanded a travel alert to seven major U.S. airports, including Denver International Airport. The alert applies to flights on May 6, 2026, giving some travelers a chance to rebook without penalty if they meet the airline’s rules.
Passengers are eligible only if their original ticket was bought on or before May 3, 2026, and the new flight is a United flight departing between May 3, 2026 and May 9, 2026. United said it will waive change fees and fare differences for affected travelers who rebook in the same cabin and between the same cities as originally booked.
The move comes as the Colorado Department of Transportation warned that heavy spring snow is expected Tuesday, May 5, 2026, and Wednesday, May 6, 2026, with wet, slushy and hazardous driving conditions early in the week. The agency said heavy banded snowfall could make travel difficult in the high foothills and mountain corridors, including the I-70 Mountain Corridor, Larimer and Boulder counties.
United said the alert covers seven major U.S. airports, most of them in Colorado, along with two airports in Wyoming. Denver International Airport is United’s fastest-growing hub, which makes the storm threat especially disruptive for a carrier already facing a busy stretch of spring travel. Heavy, wet snow could also bring down tree branches and power lines, with outages possible in some areas.
The practical question for travelers now is not whether the storm will slow operations, but how many of them can get out ahead of it. With the worst conditions expected on May 5 and May 6, United’s rebooking window gives passengers a narrow route to avoid the congestion that is likely to build across the region.
