In a scene described as “apocalyptic,” an exodus of motorists caused chaos as travelers left Colorado’s mountain towns on the tail end of a holiday weekend marred by blizzard conditions. Mountain pass closures forced traffic from more than a dozen ski resorts to converge in Summit County on Tuesday, Jan. 16, as vehicles battled to get onto Interstate 70. Longtime resident Scott Smith called it “one of the worst situations I’ve seen in 42 years up here.” The gridlock trapped residents in their homes, interrupted commutes and brought the community to a standstill in Silverthorne and Dillon. Some workers described not being able to provide essential services to their customers, while those who ventured out on foot reported jumping into snow banks to avoid cars driving on sidewalks. See more ...
