Yellowstone in Winter

Heavy Snow Force Closure of Yellowstone National Park Roads

The roads will be closed through the night, and will be evaluated by park staff on Thursday morning. But with more snow in the forecast for today and the next seven days, it’s not hard to predict that the roads will be impacted for the near future.

The section of road from Norris to Canyon was the first to close shortly after 10 o’clock this morning.  By 3:00 p.m. the roads from Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris and Madison, and from West Yellowstone to Madison and Old Faithful were all closed to travel.

The only road currently open to travel is the road from the park’s North Entrance at Gardiner, Montana to Mammoth Hot Springs and east toward Tower Junction, the Northeast Entrance, and Cooke City, Montana.   This section of road is not typically maintained between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

The balance of the park’s roads and entrances have yet to open for the season.

Staff members at Canyon report that commercial power is out and that they received as much as a foot of new snow during a two hour period this afternoon.   The Old Faithful area is also operating on a back-up electric generator, with staff members there saying it is difficult to estimate the snowfall from the storm because of the blowing and drifting occurring in the area.

Yellowstone National Park staff will evaluate the weather and road conditions Thursday morning and will reopen roads to travel when it is safe to do so.

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