Trail Ridge Road Closed After This Weekend’s Summer Snowstorm
High winds and 5ft snow drifts force the road's closure.
It was just two weeks ago that crews finally had the highway through, and over, the Rocky Mountain National Park cleared. This weekend's freak summer snowstorm brought heavy snow and high winds plus overnight temperatures into the 20s. Sunday after the storm passed, snowplows tried to clear the road but had to abort the mission after encountering 5-foot high snow drifts. and high winds.
Park officials aren't sure when the road will reopen. The west side of the closure is at Milner Pass. That's about 16 miles from the Grand Lake entrance. The east side of Trail Ridge Road is closed at Rainbow Curve. That's 12 miles from the east side entrance to the park. If you're planning to visit Rocky Mountain National Park anytime within the next couple of weeks, you're encouraged to call the Trail Ridge Road status line at 970-586-1222 for the latest information. The line is updated every 24 hours.
At last check, the Colorado snowpack was at 4,087% of normal! That's the highest level in over 20 years. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the snowpack hasn't been at this level since 2011 and again in 1995. Park crews are hopeful that this weeks weather will help them break through. Temperatures are expected to reach near 60 and rain is in the forecast for later this week.
Credit: Channel 7 Denver