The following photographs were taken yesterday afternoon, May 23, on Trail Ridge Road west of Rock Cut in Rocky Mountain National Park.
This time last week, Trail Ridge Road was clear and our crews had nearly completed digging out Alpine Visitor Center. Obviously, our current conditions are much different as you can see through the windshield of one of our large rotary snowplows.
Although today is sunny, plow operators are dealing with winds and gusts as high as 44 mph. This is causing significant drifting of snow. Precipitation is forecast beginning tomorrow at higher elevations, as well as freezing night time temperatures.
We are unable at this time to “predict” when Trail Ridge Road will open. We will continue to clear the road and assess road conditions with park staff and visitor safety as our top priority.
We will distribute a news release by Friday morning with an update of conditions on the road. The current status of Trail Ridge Road is updated on our recorded status line (970) 586-1222.
Kyle Patterson
Management Specialist/Public Affairs Officer
Rocky Mountain National Park
(970) 586-1363
www.nps.gov/romo
