Plowing has begun on Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, but don't expect Logan Pass to be passable anytime soon. The road normally opens in June, but heavy snow this season could delay that opening until later in the summer.
The Park announced that it had plowed to Two Medicine Camp Store on the Park's east side last week, where drifts measure 15- to 20-feet deep. Crews are working on Many Glacier Road on the east side of the park, and Camas Road on the west side of the park, as weather conditions allow. More snow is in the forecast.
Next week, west side crews expect to begin plowing the Going-to-the-Sun Road between Lake McDonald Lodge and Avalanche.
Glacier, like the rest of Montana, has been hammered by snow this winter and early spring. The Flattop Mountain SNOTEL station shows snow depths 125 percent of a 30-year average. According to data recorded at the Flattop SNOTEL station, this is the most significant snow year since 2011. The West Glacier Weather Station is showing approximately 127 percent of a 30-year average as of March 30, with this winter (in West Glacier) thus far being the eighth highest snowfall year since 1964.
The Road is usually open by early to mid-June, but didn't open until July 13 in 2011. That was the latest opening for the road since it's inaugural year, when it opened July 15.
Montana river basins hold snowpack well above average, and may increase as early spring storms continue to hit the state. The Flathead River Basin on Glacier's west side is at 142 percent of average as of April 5.