I originally gave my opinion on Twitter back in 2010. Recently I started using Twitter in earnest. While I do not see value in following narcissistic celebrities, it is incredibly helpful for local governments. California is getting hit with a large number of storms this winter and most of those storms have found their way to Utah. Fortunately we have the infrastructure to handle all of the snow but that means doing a lot of avalanche mitigation.
To keep avalanches from blocking roads, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) follows similar protocols to ski areas. They leverage explosive concussions to trigger small slides so they never get large. When the snow sits above a road, they close it, set off explosions, and then clean up before allowing cars back on the road. Fortunately we have weather forecasting and UDOT will send out a Tweet the night before they close the road. Then us skiers watch Twitter for updates as to when the road will open so we can get up to the ski areas.
Most of the time UDOT opens roads around the time they predicted the night before. Sometimes they have to push the estimated opening because an avalanche crossed the road and requires more cleanup than originally anticipated. We have had a few days this year where the road didn't open until after noon.
One would think that staying up at the ski areas would allow for spectacular skiing without crowds because of closed roads. Unfortunately that isn't always the case. If it is too dangerous to be on the road, it is often too dangerous to be outside and so people will be interlodged, or stuck inside, until it is safe to open the roads again. How do you find out when the interlodge is lifted? You guessed it: Twitter.
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