Spring might be in full swing across most of the country, but road crews in Wyoming and Montana are facing a brutal reality check. The annual battle to reopen the scenic Beartooth Highway is officially underway, and the Montana Department of Transportation is currently using heavy machinery to carve through massive 15-foot snowdrifts.
The High-Alpine Challenge
Connecting southwest Montana to the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park, U.S. Highway 212 is one of the highest paved roads in North America, peaking at a staggering 10,947 feet. Because of this extreme alpine elevation, the 64-mile stretch closes every winter under dozens of feet of snow.
Rebuilding the Infrastructure
However, do not expect an early trip. Plowing is only half the battle. Once the pavement is clear, crews must complete essential safety repairs, fix damaged asphalt, and reinstall protective guardrails that are purposefully dismantled every autumn to prevent destruction from winter snow chutes.
The official target opening date is locked in for May 22, just in time for the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend. Drivers planning an early-season road trip should prepare for intense mountain conditions. Up at 10,000 feet, the weather changes instantly. Mountain officials run a pickup truck with a snowplow across the pass every single morning to clear rockslides and sudden snow accumulation, meaning travelers should always pack extra warm clothes, food, and water before making the climb.
Late-Season Storm Complications
The hard-set opening date of May 22 is now facing a major, last-minute challenge from mother nature.
The National Weather Service in Billings has officially issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains, stretching through 6:00 p.m. MDT today. A late-season system is bringing heavy snow and 30 mph wind gusts to the region, dropping an estimated 8 to 15 inches of fresh accumulation right over the mountain pass.
This sudden blast of severe weather puts the highly anticipated Friday morning opening at significant risk. Crews who were previously cruising ahead of schedule to clear the remaining 5 to 15-foot snowdrifts must now pivot to clear a massive layer of fresh snow and ice.
Fortunately, the intense system is expected to clear out quickly. The local forecast shows high pressure building right behind the storm, bringing clear skies and a rapid warm-up into the mid-50s by Friday, followed by low 60s for the weekend.
While the Montana Department of Transportation and the National Park Service have not officially canceled the May 22 at 8:00 a.m. reopening time, travelers looking to tackle U.S. Highway 212 this holiday weekend need to keep a close eye on local road reports. If the gates do unlock on time, expect winter driving conditions, heavy slush, and potential delays as daily plow trucks clear any lingering rockslides or overnight snow accumulation from the pavement.
Take a ride in a snow cat to see the massive scale of this clearing operation first-hand in this Beartooth Highway Snow Clearing Video. This footage captures the immense size of the high-altitude snow drifts that crews must level and push past mountain cliffs before standard passenger vehicles can safely access the pass.
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