ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK — Plow operators are diligently working from the east and the west to clear the many feet of snow that piled up over the winter on Trail Ridge Road.

Rocky Mountain National Park officials hope the road will be open next Friday, May 22, in time for the Memorial Day weekend, but as always, that depends upon the weather.

“Sunshine makes a big difference in helping plow operators tackle the road,” said Kyle Patterson, spokeswoman for the national park.

Rains that endured throughout last week in Loveland, Fort Collins and other Front Range communities turned to snow at higher elevations. While much fresh snow fell on Longs Peak and the Mummy Range, not much fell on Trail Ridge Road, Patterson said.

Still, the plow operators were dealing with wind and the drifts those gusts create.

Each year, plows start out on the east and west sides of the scenic highway and work toward meeting somewhere in the middle. Typically, they are dealing with snow that is deeper than the average person is tall; in fact, they sometimes encounter drifts deeper than three basketball players standing on each other’s shoulders —18 to 22 feet.

This year, there is less snow on the west side of the park because recent storms have affected the east side more, according to Patterson.

Trail Ridge Road is considered one of the national park’s unique gems that allows people to view wildlife, wildflowers and breathtaking vistas from many different elevations. The road reaches a high of 12,183 feet, offering views of forested areas as well as the park from above the tree line (11,500 feet).

Built in 1931, Trail Ridge Road stretches 48 miles from Estes Park on the east to Grand Lake on the west and crosses the Continental Divide.

The weather varies greatly at those elevations, so even after the road opens for the season, there can be hazardous weather closures. Updated information on Trail Ridge is available 24 hours a day at 586-1222.

Pamela Johnson: 970-669-5050, ext. 526, johnsonp@reporter-herald.com, www.twitter.com/RHPamelaJ.