Snow at the Centennial State’s elevations can occur any time of year and last night Mother Nature delivered a white reminder that fall and winter are not far behind.
On Monday, the Colorado Department of Transportation closed the road to the top of Mount Evans due to the potential for snowfall. That potential was realized overnight last night as the observatory webcam this morning showed a couple of inches of snow on the ground.
This morning CDOT’s website reports the road is, “Closed from Summit Lake to top of Mount Evans due to adverse conditions. There is no estimated time of opening.”
The highest paved road in North America, the road to the summit of Mount Evans usually remains open until the first weekend of October when conditions prevent it from being maintained. It doesn’t reopen until the Friday before Memorial Day.
Other areas of the high country saw light doses of snow last night.
At 8:20pm last night the National Weather Service reported that 13,495 foot high Berthoud Pass was reporting 34 degrees. Moderate snow was falling and visibility had been reduced to 1/2 mile.
Snowfall above timberline will be possible tonight with potential accumulations of 1 to 2 inches in some locations.
Performing prescribed burns is an important way to clear brush and renew wildland and are often done without any excitement. Mother Nature had other plans last week however as whirling winds propelled a fire beyond its containment lines at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.
Icy roads Saturday morning led to a massive 104 car pileup on Interstate 25 through central Denver killing one person and injuring 30.