Spring snow delays Trail Ridge Road opening
Rocky Mountain National Park's Trail Ridge Road, previously set to open Friday, will stay closed because of extreme ice and whiteout conditions.
RMNP usually opens the road in time for Memorial Day weekend, but photos shared Friday by park staff show the road is less than fit for a holiday cruise.
Park rangers experienced winds of 20-30 mph, whiteout conditions and a high temperature of 24 degrees above 11,000 feet on Friday morning, RMNP spokeswoman Kyle Patterson said. Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the United States, tops out at more than 12,000 feet in elevation.
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Parks staff will continue to monitor road conditions day by day, Patterson said. The general park forecast projects warmer temperatures later this weekend and into next week.
Snow removal on Trail Ridge Road generally takes about five weeks, and snowplow operators have been working since late April to open the road in time for the holiday. But Mother Nature had other plans, Patterson said. Higher elevations got a dose of snow Thursday night, and sleet, snow and low temperatures are expected to continue Friday.
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Last year, similar conditions kept the road closed until May 29.
If you're still hell-bent on checking out Trail Ridge Road, it's open to adventurous cyclists and pedestrians. Elsewhere in Rocky Mountain National Park, Old Fall River Road remains closed for the season, but the following roads are open:
- Bear Lake Road
- Fern Lake Road
- Wild Basin Road
- Twin Sisters Trailhead Access Road
- Upper Beaver Meadows Road
- Endovalley Road
Call 970-586-1222 to check the status of Trail Ridge Road or check back with the Coloradoan for updates.
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