SPR s Doug Nadvornick reports.
Washington transportation crews on Monday will begin their annual ritual of removing snow from a 37-mile stretch of the North Cascades Highway.
The effort usually takes four-to-six weeks.
State Route 20 is perhaps the most scenic east-west highway through the Washington Cascades. It’s also the most susceptible to heavy snow and avalanches. It’s why the state closes the highway late in the fall and reopens it in late spring.
Ryan Smith, the maintenance supervisor for the Washington Department of Transportation, based in Twisp, says huge piles of snow come barreling down the mountains, much of it through 27 designated avalanche chutes, and overwhelm the roadway below.
Credit Washington State Department of Transportation
UPDATED: Mon. 10:15 am. White Pass has been reopened. Traction tires are advised, oversized vehicles are prohibited. Snoqualmie Pass is due to reopen around noon. No estimate yet for reopening at Stevens Pass.
Three of Washington’s major mountain passes were closed overnight due to increased avalanche danger.
The Department of Transportation closed Snoqualmie, Stevens and White passes around 6 pm due to heavy rains. Crews will reassess their situations Monday morning and make announcements about when they’ll reopen the passes.
U.S. Highway 20 was also closed due to a small avalanche and the potential for more. The closures are at milepost 120 for those traveling from the west and at milepost 177 for those traveling from the east.