Yellowstone roads make for tough travel after winter storm batters park

Some roads in Yellowstone National Park were temporarily closed after a winter storm made them too hazardous for travel. (File photo by Ruffin Prevost/Yellowstone Gate - click to enlarge)

From Staff Reports

UPDATE – 11:17 A.M. Sun., Jan. 22:

The following oversnow routes in Yellowstone reopened to commercially guided, public oversnow travel late Saturday afternoon:

South Entrance to West Thumb

West Thumb to Fishing Bridge

West Thumb over Craig Pass to Old Faithful

All interior park roads normally groomed for oversnow travel are have now reopened to commercially guided snowmobile and snowcoach travel.

UPDATE – 4:03 P.M. Fri., Jan. 20:

Yellowstone National Park employees have utilized the howitzer to conduct avalanche hazard mitigation operations and have groomed the East Entrance road for motorized oversnow travel. Sylvan Pass is now open to all oversnow travel. The road from Canyon to Fishing Bridge has also reopened to oversnow travel.

Park employees continue to monitor weather and snow conditions and conduct avalanche forecasting operations.

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UPDATE – 10:17 A.M. Fri., Jan. 20:

The following interior roads in Yellowstone National Park are now open to commercially guided, public snowmobile and snowcoach travel:

— West Entrance to Madison
— Madison to Old Faithful
— Madison to Norris
— Norris to Canyon
— Norris to Mammoth Hot Springs  (snowmobile travel not advised)

All these oversnow routes are reported to be in poor condition.

All other interior park roads normally open to commercially guided, public oversnow travel remain temporarily CLOSED.
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UPDATE – 2:08 P.M. Thurs., Jan. 19:

The road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Madison is now open to oversnow travel. However, snowmobile travel between Mammoth and Norris is  not advised due to icy conditions.

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A winter storm battered Yellowstone National Park on Wednesday, with high winds blowing snow across interior roads. The National Park Service announced Wednesday night that interior roads except from Mammoth to Gardiner and Mammoth to Cooke City would be temporarily closed.

The road from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful has now been reopened to commercially guided snowmobile and snowcoach travel.  The road is reported in poor condition.

All other interior park roads normally open to oversnow travel remain closed.

The road between the park’s North Entrance at Gardiner through Mammoth Hot Springs, Tower Junction and the Northeast Entrance on to Cooke City remains open to public wheeled vehicle travel. Snow tires are required, drivers are cautioned to look for drifting and animals near the roadway.

Updated road condition information is available to the public 24-hours a day by calling 307-344-2117.

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