Industry News
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend was one for the record books in Colorado. Up to five feet of snow fell in some areas and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said it was one of the worst storms the state had seen in the last century.
The only other storm that compared to it was the “bomb cyclone” that hit the state in March of 2019 and had major impacts in the mountains, urban corridors, and eastern plains. A statewide emergency was declared and over 1,000 flights were canceled at Denver International Airport (DEN).
Although not as severe as the event in 2019, this year did impact the area for a longer period and grounded around 300 flights out of DEN. Strong winds, sustained snowfall, and a weak snow layer caused an incredible 500 avalanches in just a week, and that is likely only a fraction of the total number of slides. This caused The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) to advise avoiding all avalanche terrain.
Perhaps the worst avalanche occurred on US-40 on Berthoud Pass that buried 10 cars. The road was closed in both directions between Robins Roost and Henderson Mine Road, just south of Winter Park. No injuries were reported, and all vehicles and passengers caught in the avalanche were safely rescued.
The slide was just one of 32 reported over a three-day period. Due to the closure of Berthoud Pass, ski traffic was pushed from Winter Park Resort and Steamboat Resort to detour on Colorado Highway 9 into Silverthorne. This resulted in gridlock traffic that brought parts of Summit County to a grinding halt. Other mountain passes that were closed included Loveland, Red Mountain, Monarch, and Cameron passes.
It was reported that the snow was over eight feet high on the side of the pass. Road crews from other regions of the state came to help with the clearing efforts. See the video below of a snowblower working in harsh conditions to clear the road.
The amount of new snow at ski resorts was impressive. Between January 12-17, nearly 60 inches fell on the slopes. The snowfall was much needed and long-awaited at some resorts, which made for some great skiing if you could get to the resorts.
- Related: Winter Park Resort, CO, Report: 50″ in 5 Days and a Closed Mountain Pass – The Perfect Storm
Colorado will get a break from the harsh winter weather this week as warmer temperatures are expected with light snow showers and modest accumulations. After that, the weather turns warm and sunny through the first few days of February when another storm is in the forecast. I’m sure there are many already looking forward to the next storm and more fresh snow.
