Possible Snow 2023-04-03

Hello Storm Mountain, a cold front is bringing in some possible snow on Monday night and Tuesday morning.  The forecasts are varying on the amount of snow, so check your forecast and drive safe.

Have a wonderful week!

Connie Garrett
​Storm Mountain PID #55
Email: stormmountainpid@gmail.com
Website: https://stormmountainpid.blogspot.com/
Voicemail: 970-429-5350

Hazardous Weather Outlook 2023-03-03

Hello Storm Mountain, the forecast starting tonight through Thursday is calling for snow with temps above freezing during the daytime and below freezing at night.  This pattern of thawing and re-freezing can cause extremely slick icy conditions with the ice below fresh fallen snow. Please plan ahead:

• Carry and use chains before you get stuck
• Plan for extra travel time
• Report to the community conditions
• Do not leave vehicles\trailers on road where they impede plowing operations
• Email specific requests or concerns to StormMountainPID@gmail.com

The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook.  Details can be read here.

The PID has been in communication with OTRR to request sand during the commute times. Thank you and have a safe week,

Connie Garrett
Storm Mountain PID #55
Email: stormmountainpid@gmail.com
Website: https://stormmountainpid.blogspot.com/
Voicemail: 970-429-5350

Winter Storm Watch 2022-02-22

Good Morning Storm Mountain, the National Weather Service has issued multiple warnings for hazardous weather conditions this week. Read the details here.  Please make plans for safe travel.

Have a wonderful day!

Connie Garrett
Storm Mountain PID #55
Email: stormmountainpid@gmail.com
Website: https://stormmountainpid.blogspot.com/
Voicemail: 970-429-5350

Hazardous Weather Outlook 2023-02-14

Hello Storm Mountain, we have possible snow this week on Tuesday and Wednesday. A hazardous weather outlook has been issued by the National Weather Service. The details can be read here.  Check your local forecast and make plans to make it to your destination safely.

Have an excellent week!

Connie Garrett
Storm Mountain PID #55
Email: stormmountainpid@gmail.com
Website: https://stormmountainpid.blogspot.com/
Voicemail: 970-429-5350

Winter Weather Advisory for 2022-01-17

 Hello Storm Mountain, 

A winter weather advisory goes into effect tomorrow, Tuesday, January 17 at 2 PM through Wednesday, January 18 at 5 PM.  The details of the weather advisory can be read here.  Please check the forecast and make plans to make it to your destination safely.

Have a wonderful evening!

Connie Garrett
Storm Mountain PID #55
Email: stormmountainpid@gmail.com
Website: https://stormmountainpid.blogspot.com/
Voicemail: 970-429-5350

Hazardous Weather Outlook for 2022-12-30

 Good morning Storm Mountain,

We have more snow in our forecast for the next few days.  Please check the forecast and plan accordingly. You can read more information about the hazardous weather outlook from the National Weather Service here.  AccuWeather forecasts 4-8" of snow on Friday night and 3-6" of snow on Sunday night.

Please remember that vehicles should not be left parked on the road as this interferes with plowing operations. If you have a vehicle parked in the road, please move it. Thank you for your cooperation.

Have a safe and happy new year!

Connie Garrett
Storm Mountain PID #55
Email: stormmountainpid@gmail.com
Website: https://stormmountainpid.blogspot.com/
Voicemail: 970-429-5350

Hazardous Weather Outlook Week 2022-12-11

Good morning Storm Mountain, 

We have a Hazardous Weather Outlook issued this week from the National Weather Service; details can be read here.  Please be watching the weather and make plans to make it to your destination safely.  AccuWeather is forecasting 3-6" of snow in our area, Loveland and Estes Park between Monday and Wednesday.  

Be safe and have a spectacular week!

Connie Garrett
Storm Mountain PID #55
Email: stormmountainpid@gmail.com
Website: https://stormmountainpid.blogspot.com/
Voicemail: 970-429-5350

Snow Forecast Week of 2022-11-27

Good morning Storm Mountain, we have snow in this week's forecast that looks to primarily impact our morning and evening commute on Tuesday.  There is not currently a winter weather advisory, however AccuWeather is forecasting 6-10 inches of snow to fall between Monday 11/28 7:00 PM and Tuesday 11/29 11:00 PM. Please be prepared for winter driving conditions and give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination safely.  

Have an excellent week!

Connie Garrett
Storm Mountain PID #55
Email: stormmountainpid@gmail.com
Website: https://stormmountainpid.blogspot.com/
Voicemail: 970-429-5350

Winter Weather Advisory 2022-11-17

Hello Storm Mountain, we have a winter weather advisory in effect for Thursday, November 17 at 5 AM through Friday at 9 AM.  Please be prepared for winter conditions and drive safely to your destination.

The details for the winter weather advisory can be found here.

Have an excellent evening!

Connie Garrett

Storm Mountain PID #55

Email: stormmountainpid@gmail.com

Website: https://stormmountainpid.blogspot.com/

Voicemail: 970-429-5350

Storm Mountain PID #55 Quarterly Advisory Board Meeting 

November 5, 2022 

Board Members 

Andy Hitch, Chairperson 

James Toland, Treasurer 

Connie Garrett, Secretary 

Joe Leo, Advisory Board Member 

John Lodico, Advisory Board Member, not present 

The meeting was started by suspending Robert’s Rules. 

Summer Work: Grading on areas of the mountain was discussed that need end of season grading: Storm Mountain Drive and Snow Top to Spruce Mountain. Foster Dirt will grade frequently areas around the mountain but will only grade the Access Road twice each season due to the high volume of traffic. The areas that require re-work need to be communicated with Foster Dirt as the season wraps up and budget is exhausted. 

Plowing and Sanding: For large storms where more than 12” of snow is forecasted in a 24 hour period, OTRR has suggested a change in the plowing process. In the current process, green roads are plowed ditch to ditch first, and then red roads are plowed ditch to ditch. This creates a challenge because snow builds up on the red roads, making them difficult to plow. OTRR suggests that a single lane be plowed on red roads as they are passed on the green road route; a two-car width will be plowed (where possible) on green roads to maintain maximum traffic flow. After this, OTRR will follow up on all roads and plow ditch to ditch. Plowing ditch to ditch is required to prepare for future snow events as the roads tend to narrow as snowbanks build through the season. The board approved this change for large storms where more than 12” of snow is forecasted. It should be noted that this is only likely to happen a few times per season. For storms where the snow forecast is below 12”, the regular plowing guidelines will be followed. OTRR requested to change Spruce Mountain Drive past Green Ridge to a red road. The board discussed this change and opted to keep this section of road as green. Bandit Rock Road should be plowed as any other red road and not passed over. 

James will create a plowing and sanding policy to share with the community which will include the following information: 

• Windrows in front of private driveways 
• Vehicles and trailers should NOT be parked on the side of the road 
• The board will determine if plowing/sanding is necessary when forecast has sun that will melt snow & ice accumulation within a reasonable timeframe 
• Sanding will only happen after a snow event, and only on hard surface areas of the Access Road 
• Requests for plowing and sanding need to be directed to the PID 
• Tire chains and/or studded snow tires advised 

Results of the Sanding Survey: We had 70 responses from the community regarding the sanding survey. The results are shown below. Sanding will be scaled back when there is only a dusting of snow and when the sun will melt snow and ice on the Access Road, otherwise sanding will remain the same as previous season. The board also discussed the salt content of the sand mixture. The current sand mix has a 5% salt content. There is some concern regarding the impact salt has on the road and environment. Also, the salt only melts down to 15 degrees; once the surface melts, it refreezes and causes a slick surface once again. James will check with the county engineer to get input on using a non-salted sand mix. Salted sand mix is also more costly. The sand barrels are full and ready for the winter season. Areas of the PID district that are not on the Access Road will no longer be sanded. These areas were identified in previous years (Snow Top\Palisade intersection, Spruce Mountain Dr, Lakeview, Cedar Park switch backs); the board decided sand was not useful in these zones.

Snow Depth Reporting: The board and OTRR have reached out to designated spotters to request the depth of snow on the road in various locations on the mountain. This input will be used to determine when snow plowing operation begins. 

Communications: PID contact with OTRR will be in this order: James, Andy, Joe, Connie. PID will continue to send emails to community when snow is in the forecast. PID will send email when Access Road has been plowed or sanded. 

2022 Budget: The 2022 budget was reviewed with most recent expenses included except for the invoice for the voicemail from Segway Communications for $89. The budget is shown below. Summer road work went over by $25K, this was primarily due to the county communicating the purchase order amount to Foster Dirt. The county does not take into consideration funds that are reserved for emergency and chip seal. James will work with the county to ensure that this miscommunication does not occur in the future. The PID will also request more frequent invoices from Foster Dirt to monitor expenses. The PID will also change the workflow by only giving approved projects to the contractor as opposed to the comprehensive list of identified work. The comprehensive list far exceeds the annual budget for summer road work. The PID will also reserve funds for end of season work for touch up grading in high traffic areas.

After the budget was reviewed, the meeting was adjourned. 

Thank you, 

Connie Garrett 

Secretary 

Storm Mountain PID #55 

Email: stormmountainpid@gmail.com 

Website: https://stormmountainpid.blogspot.com/ Voicemail: 970-429-5350