Snow in Cascade Mountains welcome sight for local businesses
In the Cascades, the locals instead have a low-snowpack fund.
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In the Cascades, the locals instead have a low-snowpack fund.
At least eight Western state transportation agencies use various techniques to set off avalanches, aiming to keep motorists safe and protect roads from damage and lengthy closures.
Many transportation agencies still use howitzers to set off avalanches to help keep roads safe, but they’re increasingly turning to high-tech explosive methods that can be safer and easier to use, such as fixed towers, explosives dropped by helicopter and remote-control systems that detonate compressed air and gases.
A major reason the passes close is to allow specialized crews to remove the avalanche hazard.