Eldora, CO, snowstake after receiving 33″ of new snow overnight. The stake has since been cleared of the new snow but the surrounding trees show the aftermath of the storm cycle. The mountain will not open today due to safety concerns as well as avalanches burying the road in. | Screen Shot: Eldora
Yes, you read that headline correctly: it snowed 33 inches at Eldora overnight. With big snowfall like that at a ski area comes big work to get it open.
Due to avalanches burying the road into Eldora this morning and plow drivers working tirelessly to clear it, the ski area reported on its website this morning that it will not open for operations on Thursday, March 14. The resort shared two updates about the unexpected closure this morning:
7:00 AM update – We have made the difficult but necessary decision to keep the mountain CLOSED today. Please stay home and stay safe. The County plow and grader have not been able to penetrate the snow slides across Shelf Road yet, and there is a day’s worth of work to do to prepare the mountain to open. We’re sorry to deliver this news, but we are prioritizing the safety of our guests and employees today. Thank you for understanding and let’s ride soon!
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8:00 AM update – For the safety of our guests and staff, Eldora will remain closed today, Thursday, March 14 for safety reasons. We have experienced multiple snow slides on Shelf Road (our access road) since about 3:00 AM and remain concerned about further slide danger on the road today. We hope to resume normal operations tomorrow. In the meantime, stay home, stay safe, shovel out, and enjoy the beautiful weather!
Current conditions at Eldora, CO. | Screen Shot: Eldora
Nearly three feet of snow overnight is pure insanity; that’s nearly three inches an hour of new snow for 12 hours straight. Therefore it’s no surprise that the road into Eldora is buried deep with that snow, and the mountain is working in the best interests of public safety with its decision to remain closed today while crews clear the road and prep the mountain for the following day. One thing is for sure: tomorrow will be a legendary powder day at Eldora!
Eldora isn’t the only Colorado ski area closed today due to the intense weather. Nearby Arapahoe Basin also is closed today as a result of extreme weather. On the other side of the state in the southwest corner near Salida, Monarch Mountain, too, announced that it will not open today, March 14, due to high winds from the same storm cycle that wreaked havoc on the Front Range, home to Eldora and Arapahoe Basin.It’s not always all fun and games when it snows hard, and much of Colorado is experiencing this today with huge storm totals and high winds. Once the weather settles, skiers and riders will certainly be in for some awesome conditions across the state.
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