Sun Road reopens after big deluge

Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road Road reopened from the foot of Lake McDonald to Lake McDonald Lodge on March 16.

The road was closed temporarily from Sunday afternoon to Monday after an intense rainstorm dropped as much as 4.5 inches of rain on the Park’s higher terrain.

The resulting runoff caused a seasonal stream along the Sun Road about midway between the lodge and Apgar Campground to braid into several different channels. The stream then flowed over the road.

The rain had stopped by Monday evening and the water receded so the road could be reopened. Park crews also dug out the ditch along the road to allow the runoff to flow more freely.

The West Flattop SNOTEL site on the west side of the Park recorded 4.5 inches of rain from the storm, which started Saturday and continued through Monday morning before turning to snow.

Essex saw 3.5 inches of rain, West Glacier 2.22 inches and Polebridge 1.06 inches. All small streams are running high, as are the three forks of the Flathead River.