Buffalo Pass (Continental Divide) Explained

Buffalo Pass
Elevation Ft:10180
Elevation Ref:[1]
Traversed:Unimproved road
Location:Jackson / Routt counties, Colorado, U.S.
Range:Park Range
Coordinates:40.5436°N -106.685°W
Topo:USGS Buffalo Pass

Buffalo Pass, elevation 10180feet, is a mountain pass that crosses the Continental Divide in the Park Range of the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States.

History

On December 4, 1978, Rocky Mountain Airways Flight 217 crashed on Buffalo Pass after encountering severe icing conditions and downdrafts. 20 out of the 22 passengers and crew would survive the crash, which prompted media to call the "Mircale on Buffalo Pass".[2] [3]

Climate

Tower is a weather station at the summit of Buffalo Pass. Tower has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc).

See also

Notes and References

  1. 172553 . Buffalo Pass. 2013-05-18.
  2. News: Heffel . Nathan . Miracle on Buffalo Pass Remembered Nearly 40 Years After Plane Crash . October 13, 2024 . Colorado Public Radio . December 19, 2017.
  3. News: Shapiro . Gary . Hope on Buffalo Pass: The incredible rescue of flight 217 . October 13, 2024 . 9News . September 30, 2018.