Milner Pass
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox mountain pass
| name = Milner Pass
| photo = Milner_Pass_sign.jpg
| photo_caption =
| elevation_ft = 10,759
| elevation_ref = {{cite gnis|id= 177509 |name=Milner Pass|accessdate=2011-01-29}}
| traversed = {{Jct|state=CO|US|34}}
| location = Grand / Larimer counties, Colorado, U.S.
| range = Front Range
| coordinates = {{coord|40|25|11|N|105|48|41|W|region:US-CO_type:pass|display=inline,title}}
| topo = USGS Fall River Pass
}}
Milner Pass, elevation {{convert|10759|ft|m|abbr=on}} is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States. It is located on the continental divide in the Front Range, within Rocky Mountain National Park, along the boundary between Larimer and Grand counties. The pass provides the passage over the continental divide for US 34, also known as Trail Ridge Road between Estes Park and Grand Lake. The pass is not, however, the high point on Trail Ridge Road, which crests at {{convert|12183|ft|m|abbr=on}} east of the pass within Rocky Mountain National Park. Along with the rest of Trail Ridge Road, the pass is generally closed in winter from the first heavy snow fall (usually October) until the opening of the road around Memorial Day. The gentle pass divides the headwaters of the Cache la Poudre River (which issues from Poudre Lake just east of the pass) and several creeks near the headwaters of the Colorado River to the west. The road near the pass provides a panoramic view of the Never Summer Mountains to the west.{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/romo/planyourvisit/trail_ridge_road.htm |title=Trial Ridge Road |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=2011-01-31}}
The pass is named in honor of T.J. Milner, an engineer who surveyed a potential railroad route over the pass. The railroad was never built.{{cite book| last1=Helmuth|first1=Ed|last2=Helmuth| first2=Gloria| title=The Passes of Colorado: An Encyclopedia of Watershed Divides| location=Boulder, Colorado| publisher=Pruett Publishing Company| year=1994|isbn=0-87108-841-X}}
Climate
There is a weather station near the summit of Milner Pass at Lake Irene (Colorado). Lake Irene has a subalpine climate (Köppen Dfc), bordering on an alpine climate (ETH), with only two months averaging over 10 °C.
{{Weather box
|location = Lake Irene, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 1985-2020 extremes: 10700ft (3261m)
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high F = 59
|Feb record high F = 51
|Mar record high F = 63
|Apr record high F = 63
|May record high F = 78
|Jun record high F = 83
|Jul record high F = 80
|Aug record high F = 76
|Sep record high F = 74
|Oct record high F = 66
|Nov record high F = 60
|Dec record high F = 48
|Jan avg record high F = 42
|Feb avg record high F = 44
|Mar avg record high F = 51
|Apr avg record high F = 57
|May avg record high F = 63
|Jun avg record high F = 71
|Jul avg record high F = 74
|Aug avg record high F = 72
|Sep avg record high F = 68
|Oct avg record high F = 59
|Nov avg record high F = 49
|Dec avg record high F = 41
|year avg record high F = 76
|Jan high F = 25.4
|Feb high F = 28.3
|Mar high F = 36.1
|Apr high F = 41.7
|May high F = 50.6
|Jun high F = 60.1
|Jul high F = 65.9
|Aug high F = 63.6
|Sep high F = 56.7
|Oct high F = 44.9
|Nov high F = 33.0
|Dec high F = 24.9
|year high F =
|Jan mean F = 15.9
|Feb mean F = 17.6
|Mar mean F = 24.4
|Apr mean F = 30.0
|May mean F = 38.7
|Jun mean F = 47.4
|Jul mean F = 53.2
|Aug mean F = 51.5
|Sep mean F = 45.2
|Oct mean F = 34.5
|Nov mean F = 23.3
|Dec mean F = 15.7
|year mean F =
|Jan low F = 6.3
|Feb low F = 6.9
|Mar low F = 12.5
|Apr low F = 18.2
|May low F = 26.8
|Jun low F = 34.7
|Jul low F = 40.5
|Aug low F = 39.4
|Sep low F = 33.5
|Oct low F = 23.9
|Nov low F = 13.6
|Dec low F = 6.5
|year low F =
|Jan avg record low F= -12
|Feb avg record low F= -10
|Mar avg record low F= -5
|Apr avg record low F = 2
|May avg record low F = 13
|Jun avg record low F = 26
|Jul avg record low F = 34
|Aug avg record low F = 33
|Sep avg record low F = 21
|Oct avg record low F = 6
|Nov avg record low F = -5
|Dec avg record low F = −12
|year avg record low F = −17
|Jan record low F = -22
|Feb record low F = -26
|Mar record low F = -18
|Apr record low F = -15
|May record low F = 1
|Jun record low F = 18
|Jul record low F = 26
|Aug record low F = 25
|Sep record low F = 6
|Oct record low F = -11
|Nov record low F = -18
|Dec record low F = -30
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 3.66
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.67
|Mar precipitation inch = 3.62
|Apr precipitation inch = 4.51
|May precipitation inch = 3.41
|Jun precipitation inch = 1.56
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.03
|Aug precipitation inch = 2.01
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.90
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.79
|Nov precipitation inch = 3.32
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.30
|year precipitation inch =
|Jan snow depth inch = 58
|Feb snow depth inch = 72
|Mar snow depth inch = 81
|Apr snow depth inch = 80
|May snow depth inch = 66
|Jun snow depth inch = 26
|Jul snow depth inch = 1
|Aug snow depth inch = 0
|Sep snow depth inch = 2
|Oct snow depth inch = 12
|Nov snow depth inch = 26
|Dec snow depth inch = 45
|year snow depth inch = 86
{{cite web
|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = xmACIS2
|access-date = September 24, 2023
}}
|source 2 = NOAA (Precipitation)
{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USS0005J10S&format=pdf
|title= Lake Irene, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals
|access-date = September 26, 2023
}}
}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Rocky Mountain National Park}}
Category:Landforms of Larimer County, Colorado
Category:Landforms of Grand County, Colorado
Category:Mountain passes of Colorado
Category:Rocky Mountain National Park
Category:Great Divide of North America
Category:Transportation in Grand County, Colorado