Yellowstone delays April 17 road openings after winter storm

MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, Wyo. — Several entrances and road sections that are set to open at 8 a.m. Friday, April 17 are delayed until noon because of a major winter storm, Yellowstone National Park announced in a release.

Road sections expected to open at noon April 17 are the West Entrance to Old Faithful, the West Entrance to Canyon and Mammoth to Norris.

The delay does not affect the road from the North Entrance in Gardiner to the Northeast Entrance near Cooke City, Montana. That route remains open, though the park said drivers should expect winter conditions.

The park reported up to 12 inches of heavy wet snow in some areas. More snow is expected overnight with temperatures falling to 10 F and creating dangerous driving conditions with ice, deep snow and poor visibility.

Yellowstone also warned that weather could trigger additional road closures or travel restrictions without notice. Officials urged travelers to keep plans flexible.

Park crews will plow through the night and plan to check conditions again in the morning.

Furthermore, NorthWestern Energy crews are working to restore full power to Canyon Village and Old Faithful after weather-related outages.