Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Paradise Advisory


This is more a personal advisory but will likely be a public one later as the snow melts in June. Last year a visitor was hurt when a snowbridge over the power transformer south of the road across from the new visitors center collapsed and she had to be airlifted to a hospital. The NPS staff hadn't marked the areas with poles and flagging since they tested the snowbridge earlier to think it was strong and stable.

The heat of the day(s) weakened it. You can see the location of it in the indentations and poles. So a word of warning to stay clear of it. The NPS will likely mark it when the snow melts more but for now all there are to identify it are the two poles. Since there is over 16 feet of snow, it's not a hazard yet, but it only pays to be safe as the snow is softer from the warmth of the transformer under the snow.

Nothing else, just stay alert for warnings and advisories around the Paradise areas. With the higher snowpack and delayed snowmelt, soft snow is now and will be a problem as the weather warms and the snows melts. Enjoy and take care.

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