I-90, US 2 reopen after heavy mountain snow and avalanche danger

The snow may have finished falling in the lowlands Monday and Tuesday, but it wasn’t yet done in the mountain passes.

A helpful reminder on safe driving in winter conditions

National Weather Service meteorologist Gary Schneider said Tuesday that the mountain passes had already seen 12-18 inches of snow in the last 24 hours, and were expected to get another foot or more.

Schneider said avalanche danger is high, which, combined with heavy snowfall, is why Interstate 90 across Snoqualmie Pass in both directions was closed overnight Monday, and remained closed until about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The closure stretched eastbound from milepost 34 in North Bend to milepost 106 just west of Ellensburg, and westbound from milepost 70 near Easton.

Snoqualmie Pass is now open in both directions, and traction tires are required.

The pass is open and traction tires are required.
Traction Tires include:
➡️An eighth of an inch tread and a M&S or All Season label or a Mountain/Snowflake symbol.
➡️Installing chains makes any tire a traction tire.

— Snoqualmie Pass (@SnoqualmiePass) February 16, 2021

The Washington State Department of Transportation closed US 2 over Stevens Pass at about 1 p.m. Tuesday for the rest of the day in both directions, from milepost 55 to milepost 99.

“We can no longer keep up with the amount of snow falling, and conditions are getting worse,” WSDOT tweeted.

After reassessing conditions at 8 a.m., crews continued to clear the road with a goal of reopening the pass later this morning. As of 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, US 2 Stevens Pass has reopened with chains required. If your car is all-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, you still need to carry chains.

US 2 Stevens Pass has reopened with chains required. That means if you are AWD/4WD you still need to carry chains in case you need them. Never used your chains? Practice before you head up the pass. Drive for conditions and give plenty of room to the car in front of you. pic.twitter.com/DfVWPwpUTb

— WSDOT East (@WSDOT_East) February 17, 2021

“When we get this much snow this quickly, there’s a high avalanche danger, so they have to control that,” Schneider said about the dangerous conditions in the mountain passes.

“The driving conditions are obviously very difficult, and if you’re up there going skiing or just in the backcountry, it’s very dangerous because the avalanche danger is going be really high,” he added.

Drivers could take Blewett or White Pass instead. The latest update from WSDOT on Wednesday morning says Blewett Pass has clear skies, and the roadway is bare and wet with frost and ice in places. White Pass has overcast skies Wednesday morning, and traction tires are advised. The roadway is bare with wet with compact snow and ice in places.

Drivers could also get to eastern Washington by driving down the Columbia River Gorge.

The National Weather Service in Seattle says snow showers in the mountains are still lingering Wednesday, but that should taper off and end by the afternoon.

There are still lingering snow showers in the mountains early this morning. Expect winter driving conditions if going over the passes this morning. Showers should taper this morning and end in the afternoon. pic.twitter.com/ObYNROq59k

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) February 17, 2021

KIRO Radio’s Frank Shiers contributed to this report.

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