Digging Out In Summit County Is A Community Event
FRISCO, Colo (CBS4) - Drivers in the high country finally caught a break in the weather Thursday afternoon, but for those who had to stay the night Wednesday, many ended up digging their cars out to get anywhere Thursday.
"Today's storm? We have a waiting list and we're trying to get to customers as quickly as we can," said one of the managers at Ski Country Auto Repair and Towing.
The tow company had several of their own tow truck stuck but say they weren't phased by the snow totals which they estimated around two to three feet by Thursday morning.
"I mean in the '80s, it was an average snow but in comparison to the last couple years it's heavy but it's welcome. Yeah, very welcome."
Plow driver Christopher McNoldy spent most of the day Thursday trying to help the dozens of cars buried in the parking lot of the Grand Hotel. He described the morning as completely chaotic.
"I thought we were only gonna get about a foot but this looks more like three," he said.
As busy as he was, McNoldy helped everyone who approached him. One after the next.
"This is what we do up here in Summit," he said.
Along I-70, semi drivers who spent the night had to be towed out of snowdrifts. Other drivers spent the night in their cars due to hotels filling up.
"We were driving and following the snowplow and then the just the road drifted us off," said Billy Stevens.
Stevens got stuck multiple times, including just outside a hotel that had no room for him, so he spent the night in his car with his partner.
"You can't get outta here either?" asked CBS4's Jamie Leary, "I hope so… I'm from southern California…" said an exasperated Stevens.
By Thursday afternoon, the wind was still fierce across Summit County, but the sun finally began peeking out, and the snow finally let up, allowing traffic to cautiously travel in both in both directions.
