Snow blasts east side of Glacier Park

The Daily Inter Lake

Glacier National Park's east side was pounded by heavy snow Thursday, forcing temporary road closures.

"By 10 a.m. we had 10 inches at St. Mary," said Amy Vanderbilt, the park's public affairs officer.

Going-to-the-Sun Road was closed but later reopened up to the Rising Sun area by Friday. The Two Medicine Road was reopened up to Running Eagle Falls.

The Many Glacier Road remains closed to vehicles.

Only about 2 inches of snow fell on the west side of the park, where Going-to-the-Sun Road plow crews are now working in the Packers Roost area just below the West Tunnel.

Hikers and bikers have exclusive use of the road beyond Lake McDonald Lodge up to the Packers Roost area on weekends.

Plow crews had to clear debris from a major avalanche last week, and this week they encountered debris from an older slide that crossed Sun Road both above and below the Loop. That slide caused road damage, Vanderbilt said.

Because of rapid snowmelt in the Avalanche Campground area, a park contractor is ahead of schedule with plans to pave in the campground area starting next week.

Also on the west side of the park, the Inside North Fork Road is now open from Polebridge to the Big Prairie area, but the Camas Road has yet to melt out.

Previously, Glacier officials had planned to plow Camas Road, but that plan changed and now the road will open after snow melts off.