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Trail Ridge Road Closes Early For Winter Season

Darekk2
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Wikimedia Commons

Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park has been closed for much of the last week due to consistent winter conditions, high winds and below freezing temperatures. Officials closed the road for the season Wednesday, Oct. 17.

The average winter closure date for Trail Ridge Road has been Oct. 23. In 2011, the road remained open until Oct. 27.

"We continue to get snowfall at high elevations combined with strong winds. The snow will continue to blow and drift at higher elevations, making snow clearing operations and driving conditions extremely hazardous," says Park Superintendent Vaughn Baker.    

After a dry and mild winter in 2011, park crews were able to reopen Trail Ridge Road, May. 14, nearly two weeks ahead of schedule.

Trail Ridge Road is now in "winter trail status" which means that bicycles and pets are not permitted beyond the closed gates. Trail Ridge Road reaches an elevation of 12,183 feet and is the highest continuous paved road in the U.S.

Check the National Park Service's website for updates on road closure information in Rocky Mountain National Park .

My journalism career started in college when I worked as a reporter and Weekend Edition host for WEKU-FM, an NPR member station in Richmond, KY. I graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a B.A. in broadcast journalism.
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