Extreme Heat At Yellowstone: Is It Hot Enough to Melt A… Road?

Christa Tintelnot

Staff Writer

@christamarie123

You might have heard yourself say “It’s hot enough to fry and egg out here,” but did you ever say it was “hot enough to melt a road?” Probably not, because something like that would be extremely unusual, right? Not so fast.

Extreme heat coming from underground thermal areas has started to create a hot spot right in the middle of Yellowstone National Park. The area is so hot, it is actually melting a part of the road and causing closures throughout the park.

The road in question, the aptly named Firehole Lake Drive, is an offshoot of Grand Loop Road which connects Madison Junction with the famous geyser, Old Faithful. According to a park spokesman, Dan Hottle, the road is a “soupy mess.” The road also provides access to other attractions in the park like White Dome Geyser, Firehole Lake and the Great Fountain Geyser.

Is something like this normal? According to Hottle, since the park sits on part of the well known Yellowstone supervolcano, the fluctuation of temperatures is fairly normal. It is also fairly common for the asphalt to get a bit sticky and soft. However, the latest heat actually seems to be liquefying the pavement, and that is very unusual.

The park is hoping to reopen the closed road next week, but before they do, maintenance crews will need to cover the melted area with sand and lime in order for vehicles to drive over it without getting stuck.