Truckers urge caution with snowy conditions on Snoqualmie Pass

Slick roads are presenting hazardous conditions for drivers headed through Snoqualmie Pass, with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) reporting the pass received more than 1.5 feet of snow over the weekend.

Blewett Pass and Stevens Pass also received 1.5 feet of snow, and all three passes have approximately two feet of snow accumulation.

I-90 reopens between North Bend and Ellensburg following multiple crashes and blocking vehicles

It is shaping up to be a rough year for freight drivers looking to head west over the mountain passes, with the snow starting significantly earlier than usual. KIRO Newsradio spoke to a driver who said she had to use her tire chains a lot more than in years past for this time of year.

“It’s not starting out very good, it could be a bad one this year,” she said. “I don’t normally do this run, so I’m not sure what Snoqualmie is normally like, but our first storm of the season and I’ve had to chain up three times in two days.”

Conditions look good now, but more snow tonight into Monday morning. The pass has received over 1.5 feet of snow so far this weekend with more on the way early next week. Pls know before you go https://t.co/CTifUQ88YN, slow down & follow traction requirements. pic.twitter.com/6bfRZNFu0u

— Snoqualmie Pass (@SnoqualmiePass) November 7, 2022

Both directions of I-90 were closed over the weekend because of crashes, with transportation officials blaming drivers who didn’t adhere to chain requirements.

“A majority of the closures, sadly, what we saw this weekend were due to drivers not being prepared, not following traction or chain requirements, spin-outs, driving under the influence or simply driving way too fast for conditions,” the WSDOT’s Tina Werner said.

Truck drivers coming down from the pass tell us those in passenger cars need to lay off the gas. They’re asking drivers to give them space so if they need to stop, they don’t cause a pile-up in the mountain pass.

“Drivers think because we leave space, we’re leaving space for them to cut us off or get in front of us. We leave space so that we can stop,” a truck driver named Robert said. “On a dry day, if we were traveling 60 miles an hour, it takes us two football field lengths to stop our truck. Most people, when I look at my estimates, show that they’re cutting me off at 35 feet. If we had to make an abrupt stop, we would actually smash into them.”

Sam Campbell contributed to this report