[Butch Cassidy Slept Here]

Your story indicates you would NOT have made your connection, in Denver, even if the weather, in Chicago, had never turned to lighting. I will give the Customer Service agent in Denver the benefit of the doubt. I will assume there is no way for United, or any other airline, to show, in their computer system, that a given flight was delayed BEFORE bad weather set-in. Still, I can't believe there isn't a way for United HQ staff, in response to a reimbursement request, to verify these circumstances.

I assume the reimbursement would be limited to the nightly rate at a hotel which would have honored United's vouchers, and likewise with meal expenses.

As I've indicated in other posts, if the nature of travel is urgent, it's best to sacrifice comfort, and travel with someone who offers more reliable service, like Southwest, even if that means making the trip to Spokane; paying for two seats, then driving to Durango from Denver or Phoenix.