Snow in summer? That is what these Yellowstone workers are trying to avoid
Summer is months away, but park officials are already taking on the monumental task of clearing all of the snow-packed roads in Yellowstone National Park -- a process that can take over three months.
Snow removal at Yellowstone National Park began on March 3. The park receives up to 10 feet of snow per winter in some areas, making it challenging for crew workers to get the area ready for spring.
Yellowstone is the oldest and one of the most popular national parks in the United States, and people from all around the world flock to the remote corner of Wyoming every year to enjoy its natural beauty. The peak season for tourists is still months away, but preparations for the busy summer months are already underway.
"Each winter, we spend about three months grooming 180 miles of park road, so people can tour the park by snowmobile and snow coach," said Brian Batzloff, engineering equipment operations supervisor at the park.
A bison crosses the road as snow removal crews clear roads in Yellowstone National Park. (Photo credit: Yellowstone National Park)
Areas of the park have been buried in feet of snow, and roads that are used by snowmobiles and other vehicles in the winter are packed with dense snow, making snow removal more complex than using basic plow trucks.
A large V plow is used as a wedge to break up the snow-packed roads, followed by large plow trucks and large rotary snowplows that act like massive snowblowers. With these efforts combined, park officials can move over 4,000 tons of snow per hour.
A large snow plow clears snow from a road in Yellowstone National Park. (National Park Service)
"The two biggest challenges we face through our plow season is the weather and equipment breakdowns," Batzloff said. "The days can be long and be difficult at times, but our team is always excited to go out and meet those challenges."
To complicate matters further, springtime snowstorms can bury the freshly plowed roads. Yellowstone averages 13.1 inches of snow in March and 5.9 inches of snow in April. Snowflakes can even fly in the air on chilly days as late as June.
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