UPDATE | Sept. 12, 8 a.m. — Trail Ridge Road has reopened after closing Wednesday due to snow and freezing temperatures.
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ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK – A cold front that moved into Colorado Wednesday forced the closure of Trail Ridge Road – just 79 days after reopening for the summer season.
The National Park Service warned via Twitter the road would close by 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, along with Old Fall River Road, due to snow and freezing temperatures above 10,000 feet.
The closures extend from Milner Pass on the west, about 16 miles from the Grand Lake entrance, to Rainbow Curve on the east, which is located about 12 miles from the east side entrances, the tweet read.
MORE: September snow? Here's where we could see a dusting in Colorado
Snow accumulations of a few inches “seem a fair possibility” across the Flat Tops, Park and Gore mountain ranges, the National Weather Service in Grand Junction said.
Areas that could see a dusting in Colorado include higher elevations near Steamboat Springs, Vail and Aspen. Those areas have a 1 in 10 chance to see closer to an inch of snow, according to the weather service's high-end probabilities, but the chance of that happening is slim.
National Park Service officials did not provide a timeline of when the road would reopen, only saying it will happen “when conditions permit.”
