West Gets Early Dose of Wintry Weather

Winter has descended on Yellowstone National Park in full force, blanketing the region that includes northwestern Wyoming, southern Montana and eastern Idaho with snow.

Managers of America's first national park say late-season visitors should expect winter weather and driving conditions, including temporary road closures and delays.

That goes for the next few days, when storm systems could drop additional snow and could make driving on the park's roads treacherous.

The Beartooth Highway is set to close for the season at 8:00 a.m. Tuesday, as is the road between Tower Fall and Canyon over Dunraven Pass.

The road from Gardiner, Mont., at the park's North Entrance, to Cooke City, Montana, at the park's Northeast Entrance, is open to wheeled vehicles all year.

Cheyenne, Wyo. received nearly a foot of snow and North Platte, Neb. had 17 inches of snow dumped on it over the weekend, reports CBS "Early Show" weather anchor Dave Price.

Meanwhile, in Colorado, the snowstorm that blew through Denver on Saturday brought bone-chilling temperatures and led to the Phillies and Rockies getting postponed.

And there was little relief from Sunday night's biting cold for Game 3 of the NL division series between Philadelphia and Colorado. It was so chilly the players' breaths swirled around them like smoke.

The game-time temperature was 35 degrees, tying the record set when Cleveland hosted Florida in Game 4 of the 1997 World Series.

The majority of the Phillies and Rockies dressed as if they were hitting the ski slopes, wearing stocking caps, gloves and hooded sweatshirts as they lined up for pregame introductions.

Philadelphia's Rollins wore a cap underneath his hat to cover his ears. The umpires came out wearing heavy jackets zipped to their chins and gloves. In the stands, the fans were dressed in layers as well, parkas and scarves in abundance.

Really, nothing worked.

It was just that cold.

Phillies outfielder Shane Victorino, from Wailuku, Hawaii, bucked the bundled-up trend, dressing as if it were a day at the beach. He vowed to wear short sleeves after batting practice and lived up to his promise, donning a modified short-sleeved shirt.

"I wanted to see how it felt. It felt good so I'll be out there without sleeves," said Victorino, who did have a sleeve covering his right arm.

He wasn't alone. Philadelphia rookie pitcher J.A. Happ also went without sleeves.

The climate could've been worse - at least the snow flurries and icy mist have cleared out. As for the game, Philadelphia won 6-5.

But Colorado isn't all that ashamed of its unpredictable weather. The state is sponsoring a contest for people who have never seen snow or built a snowman.

The Colorado Tourism Office launched the contest Monday to give three snow virgins an expenses-paid, three-month trip to Colorado, January through March. With help from local instructors and guides, contest winners will sample winter activities like snowmobiling, skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding, the all-important apres ski cocktail hour, maybe even ice climbing - then Facebook, YouTube and Twitter about it.

Winners also will visit Colorado restaurants, hot springs and spas.

Applicants are asked to submit videos to a Web siteexplaining why they should win. People can visit the Web site to vote, and 10 finalists will get trips to Colorado to audition.

The Colorado Tourism Office is spending about $150,000 on the contest. That's less than the $250,000 it spent on a promotion last year to erect a virtual ski hill and "bring Colorado" to New York City.

The office's budget was cut from $20 million last year to $15 million this year as the state tried to close a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall. Tourism officials hope the new contest builds buzz for Colorado on social media networks, with contest winners posting daily updates.

The idea is to show Colorado through the contest winners' fresh eyes, whether they're from the U.S. or not, tourism office director Kim McNulty said.

Contest organizers figure entrants might be students, job seekers, retirees or those who can arrange for time off work - basically the crowd that might go on a reality TV show.

The winners will stay at spots around the state. Exact locations were still being confirmed.