AASHTO Journal, 17 October 2014
The Rocky Mountain region and Hawaiian peaks have already received an early dose of winter weather this month, in what some forecasters think could be indicators of a rough winter ahead.
Yes, it may be still October on the calendar, and many parts of the country are just reveling in fall foliage and autumn warmth, but some states are getting a taste of what’s to come in the next few months.
Some parts of the Rockies received record-early snowfalls last month, and this past week brought more. While October snow is no rarity in high elevations, the repeated storms so early in the season are already causing state transportation departments to close some roads and deploy winter weather teams to keep others open.
And after an especially tough winter of 2013-14 that drained state coffers of road salt, sand and overtime pay, and then left months of pothole repairs, some wonder if the autumn snowfalls are a harbinger of a fierce winter ahead.
Here’s a roundup from recent days:
On Oct. 12, the Colorado Department of Transportation had to twice close part of Interstate 70 between Silverthorne and the Eisenhower Tunnel to clear away accidents that came with icy road conditions.
Two days later, areas of Wyoming were forecast to get up to 10 inches of snow.
And out in the Pacific Ocean on Oct. 13, mountain peaks in Hawaii got several inches of snow and officials warned that the summit road was icy.