Before avalanche, 1,500 people were stuck in Snowbird due to road closure

SALT LAKE CITY —  A 10-hour interlodge, just one in a series of interlodge orders this week, was lifted Thursday morning at Snowbird, but a road closure means that the 1,500 people left at the resort are still stuck there. By Thursday afternoon, an avalanche had hit at the Chickadee run, leaving the resort in interlodge again.

Communications Manager at Snowbird Sarah Sherman told KSL NewsRadio that Highway S.R.-210 remained closed.

But, on Thursday morning, people could move freely from building to building and into parking lots.

Despite the hours-long lockdown, Sherman said there was a good feeling in the air.

The snowstorm that blew by on Wednesday meant the mountain had to stay closed due to high avalanche risk. But now, things are looking up.

“We finally have some blue skies, the storm has parted,” she said, adding, “I think those blue skies and the very high chance of skiing today has everyone really excited to see what the rest of the day brings.”

Several areas for skiing and riding opened around 9:40 a.m. Thursday at the resort before the avalanche forced another interlodge.

Sherman said that the resort has enough supplies, like food, to take care of everyone until the road is open again.

Snowbird has no estimated time of opening for Highway S.R.210 yet.

Debbie Dujanovic contributed to the reporting of this story.

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