Snow, slides, mud close WA mountain passes — severing west from east — and other key roads
UPDATE 7 p.m.: Snoqualmie, Stevens, White and Blewett passes will likely remain closed until Sunday, WSDOT said.
UPDATE 5 p.m. Thursday: U.S. 101 along Hood Canal has now reopened to traffic, WSDOT reports.
Washington is a state divided Thursday. Snow and the dangers it brings — avalanches, whiteouts and falling trees — have shut down Snoqualmie, Stevens, White and Blewett passes. They won’t reopen until Friday or Saturday, according to the state Department of Transportation, at least along Interstate 90.
Only state Route 14 along the Columbia River remained opened. But even it was closed to freight traffic.
“This means cross-state travel is almost completely impossible,” WSDOT tweeted Thursday.
In addition, falling trees shut down state Route 410 east of Enumclaw on Thursday and continued to keep a 48-mile stretch of U.S. 101 closed along Hood Canal.
I-90
Falling trees and avalanche danger forced the closure of I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass until Saturday. The closure covers the stretch from North Bend at milepost 34 to Ellensburg at milepost 106. More inclement weather in the forecast has forced WSDOT crews to retreat until they can safely assess the road.
SR 12
WSDOT shut down state Route 12 Wednesday after falling trees and a landslide blocked the road. The closure is in effect from milepost 135 near Timberline Drive to milepost 183 over White Pass. A reopening time has not yet been provided.
SR 410
State Route 410 was blocked by fallen trees at Mud Mountain Dam Road east of Enumclaw on Thursday. A reopening time has not yet been provided.
U.S. 2
U.S. 2 over Stevens Pass is closed from Scenic to the west end of Leavenworth due to heavy snow, poor visibility and snowslides. WSDOT did not provide an estimated reopening time.
U.S. 101
A 48-mile-long of U.S. 101 from Hoodsport to state Route 104 reopened Thursday after being closed since Sunday while crews cleared trees, power lines and snow.
Travelers info
Before driving through winter weather drivers can consult WSDOT’s real-time travel map at wsdot.com/travel/real-time/map/. They can also sign up for alerts.
In addition, vehicles should be outfitted or carry the necessary equipment for driving in snow. Drivers should an emergency car kit and other necessities should they become stranded for long periods of time.
This story was originally published January 6, 2022 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Snow, slides, mud close WA mountain passes — severing west from east — and other key roads."
