Even though spring is coming to Fort Carson, the Colorado Springs weather is once again is throwing us a curveball from the spring-like weather we had on Saturday. My family and I spent most of the day outside enjoying the warm weather and even broke a sweat doing some outdoor spring clean up. 

Sunday’s temperature has DROPPED OVER 40 DEGREES and we have snow with strong wind gusts today with anywhere from 1 to 10 inches possible depending on where you live in the Colorado Springs area. Anyone who has lived in Colorado Springs even for a short time knows this is typical, but none the less…it is still hard to take when it happens. So if you are relocating to Fort Carson, you have been warned! 

 So just in case this snow stays around until Monday, I thought Id post the Fort Carson Hazard Winter Weather Alerts.  

GREEN:  Road movement has no restrictions and vehicles may operate in accordance with normal safety precautions.

AMBER:  One or more of the following conditions exists:

*Roads are mostly snow packed and/or icy in spots.
*Snow is falling at a rate that is causing accumulation on the road but is being cleared adequately by snow removal assets.
*Road conditions would cause moderate and possibly hazardous delays to drivers.
*Conditions are such that for maximum safety and to prevent accidents it is best to eliminate as much unnecessary traffic as possible.

RED:  One or more of the following conditions exists:

*Roads are snow packed or covered or are extremely icy in spots.
*Snow is falling at a rate that exceeds Fort Carson's ability to adequately and quickly clear the roads.
*High winds and snowfall are causing zero or near zero visibility conditions.
*Average snow accumulation on roadways has exceeded four inches.
*Conditions would cause lengthy and dangerous delays to drivers.
*Operating non-essential activities would cause unnecessary hazardous driving conditions to the community.

In delay and closure announcements, it is often the case that Mission Essential Personnel must report. Below is the definition to clarify who is considered Mission Essential. The Installation Operations Center will not know the status of individual personnel.

MISSION ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL: During severe weather, some agencies and routine events must remain open.  The personnel required to execute these functions are considered mission essential.  Basically, personnel would be mission essential personnel if any oft the following applies life, safety and health).  

These are the proposed mission essential functions assumed needed during severe weather to meet the GC guidance (life, health and safety) are listed below.

 a. Limited medical functions; all external clinics closed.
 b.   Normal firefighter services.
 c.   Utilities services staffing and snow removal.
 d.   Provost Marshal desk operations, patrols, traffic investigator, MPI.
 e.   Reduced Food service; limited mid day commissary.
 f.    Unit level security (SDO and CQs).
 g.  Gate guards (close low usage gates 5 & 20).
 h.   Installation Operation Center Watch Personnel.
 i. Personnel deemed essential IAW Unit Commanders.

MISSION SUPPORT or NON-ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL: This comprises all Soldiers and civilians who are not designated Mission Essential.

DELAYED REPORTING: This is implemented when it has been determined that road conditions are AMBER or RED.  Soldiers and Civilian Employees must understand that Fort Carson roads may be cleared but those within their living area isn’t.  Data is gathered from all possible sources before this decision is made (CSPD, Colorado State Patrol, Department of Transportation etc…). When the decision is made one of the following courses of action is issued.  
 
*Off-post personnel do not report for duty.
*Only mission essential off-post personnel report for duty.
*Off-post personnel delayed reporting.  (Recommend a report time.)
*Off-post personnel report at the regular time. (No announcement is made).

PHASED RELEASE: To safely manage the flow of personnel and vehicles off post, personnel will be released in a staggered manner as follows:

*First released are personnel who live more than 15 miles from Fort Carson.
*30 Minutes Later:  Second released are those who live between 5 - 15 miles from Fort Carson.
*30 Minutes Later (One Hour After 1st Group):  Third release are those who live within 5 miles of Fort Carson

Supervisors will determine which category each employee / Soldier is in and assist with early release.

One thing to note is that note closures or delays at Fort Carson, are ONLY for Fort Carson and do not apply to any of the other military installations. Since weather varies so much from one side of town to the other, always check YOUR military installation for their closures and delays.

 
To get current delay and closure information at Fort Carson, you can call 526-0096

For the current weather conditions and forecast, you can go to Stormtracker 13.