Interstate 70 closed because of summer snow storm!

[RockyMtnRay]

Coming to Colorado's mountains this summer? Bring chains and snow tires.

Following quote is from this Monday, June 13th 2005 article in the Frisco, CO Summit Daily News.

"Interstate 70 was closed at 9 p.m. Sunday in both directions from the Silverthorne exit to the Eisenhower Tunnel because of multiple accidents due to slick roads.

"It started to snow pretty heavy at the tunnel at around 9 p.m., and cars without four wheel drive weren't able to make it up the steep grade," Colorado State Trooper Lloyd Smith said. "A lot of cars crashed and others were sliding, so we closed the tunnel."

The Colorado Department of Transportation called in extra crews to plow the road, which was covered in slush.

Although the chain law was in effect, truckers are not required to carry chains in the summer, so some drivers had to wait at scenic overlooks and in commercial parking lots in Silverthorne before they could drive the pass. At least 50 trucks waited on the Summit County side of the tunnel, Smith said.

Tow truck drivers were summoned from Summit County and Idaho Springs to help remove vehicles that had been involved in accidents.

Smith estimated about six small crashes and two others involving semi-trucks had to be cleaned up before the road could be opened. Both lanes were open by midnight.

Additional staff from Colorado State Patrol and officers from the Silverthorne Police Department and Summit County Sheriff's Office also helped control traffic and clean up the mess."

My standing rule is I never, ever tow after dark (or during heavy daytime storms) at the high elevations (over 10,000 feet) in the Colorado Rockies because of very high chances for heavy snow and snowpacked/icy roads...even in the middle of the summer and certainly in early and late summer (before mid June or after late August). Even on very warm days, the temperatures at 11,000 feet (elevation of the tunnels on I70 as well as most Colorado passes over the Continental Divide) will typically only be the 50s and can be in the 40s. During a storm (even a thunderstorm), especially a night time storm, those temperatures usually drop into the low 30s and high 20s so the likelihood of snow at those elevations is almost 100%...and the snowfall rate even in mid summer can be 2 inches per hour.