Moffat County highway closures caused motorists to be stranded, required Search and Rescue effort with snowcat
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Blizzard conditions caused U.S. Highway 40 and Colorado Highway 318 in Moffat County to be closed on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.
Courtesy photo
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Moffat County Search and Rescue works to retrieve stranded motorists west of Craig on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, after blizzard conditions closed down U.S. Highway 40 and Colorado Highway 318 in Moffat County.
Courtesy photo
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A vehicle sits stranded west of Craig on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, due to overnight road closures on U.S. Highway 40 and Colorado Highway 318.
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A snowcat assists with a Moffat County Search and Rescue mission on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, after a winter storm left over a dozen motorists stranded on Colorado Highway 318 in Moffat County.
Courtesy photo
Blizzard conditions west of Craig on Wednesday, Feb. 15, left more than a dozen motorists stranded and prompted a rescue effort by Moffat County Search and Rescue.
The harsh weather conditions Wednesday caused overnight closures of U.S. Highway 40 west of Craig. The U.S. 40 closure stretched to the Utah state line, and it included Colorado Highway 318 from Maybell to the Utah state line.
Both highways reopened by Friday, Feb. 17, but the poor weather conditions and closures left multiple motorists stranded Wednesday night on Colorado 318 outside of Maybell.
Using a snowcat and more, Moffat County Search and Rescue deployed on Wednesday to reach those who were stranded and collected approximately 19 people and one dog. The stranded motorists were first taken to Maybell, where temporary services were provided at the Maybell Community Center.
According to Moffat County Sheriff’s Office, all of the stranded motorists were then transported to Craig, where overnight lodging and meals were arranged in a coordinated effort with several local entities.
Efforts to clear and reopen the highways continued overnight. According to the sheriff’s office, all of the passenger vehicles that were abandoned on the highway were removed Thursday afternoon, and the motorists were able to resume traveling east on U.S. 40.
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