- Eldora receives 46 inches of snow over two days, leading to the closure of the popular ski area on Thursday
- A six-wheel John Deere grader went off the road and got stuck in a snowdrift while trying to clear a path for traffic
- Three other mountains were forced to close to snow sports because they were inaccessible after a spring storm dumped several feet of snow
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A Colorado ski resort has been forced to close after experiencing ‘the biggest snow event in decades.’
Eldora received 46 inches of snow over two days, prompting the closure of the popular ski area Thursday.
Overall, four mountains were closed to snow sports because they were inaccessible after a spring storm dumped several feet of snow across the Front Range.
A six-wheel John Deere grader veered off the road and got stuck in a snow drift while trying to clear a path for traffic, making reopening the road more difficult, officials said.
‘The roadster was clearing Shelf Road near Peterson Lake and veered off the side down the bank towards the lake but did not enter the lake,’ Eldora spokesman Sam Bass told Denver Post.
Eldora receives 46 inches of snow over two days, leading to the closure of the popular ski area
A six-wheel John Deere grader went off the road and got stuck in a snowdrift while trying to clear a path for traffic
“The rest of Shelf Road has been drifting and sliding all night with several small avalanches across the road for its entire length,” Bass told the Post.
Bass added: ‘We were cautiously optimistic about a potential opening mid-afternoon today but continue to experience complications across our operation.
‘Snow removal, road conditions, massive snow on the mountain requiring avalanche suppression in key areas, getting employees safely to and from Eldora to assist with the clearing effort – while we recover from this massive storm.’
Echo Mountain experiences 45 inches of snow in just 48 hours, leading to its closure.
“Please DO NOT attempt to drive to Echo until you hear from us about our plan moving forward,” read a notice on Echo’s official website.
‘Access along CO-103 is incredibly difficult and more stuck cars (means) longer delays in plowing and clearing the road.’
Both Winter Park and Arapahoe Basin closed to skiers after receiving 17 and 14 inches of snow, respectively.
The ski resort experienced ‘the biggest snow event in decades’
Snow is expected to continue falling through the weekend in the Rockies, Four Corners and South Rockies, according to a National Weather Service report
However, Loveland and A-Basin, which were both closed on Thursday, reopened to skiers on Friday.
“As of Friday morning, the snow east of the North Gap is 30-50 inches,” according to a post by meteorologist Joel Gratz.
Adds: ‘The storm will bring more snow to the southern mountains on Friday and Saturday.’
The spring snowstorm began Wednesday, leading to the cancellation of more than 800 flights at Denver International Airport, the Denver Post reported.
Denver public schools were also forced to close for the day Friday.
Tens of thousands of residents across the state were also left without power Friday, the Associated Press reported.
Snow is expected to continue falling through the weekend in the Rockies, Four Corners and South Rockies, according to a National Weather Service report.