Don’t be the driver who shuts down a mountain pass: Get winter-ready

Call it a practice run for the rest of the winter. Our first snowstorm of the season this week provided a reminder that it’s time to get our cars and our attitudes into shape for the winter.

It was just a little dusting of snow on Snoqualmie, Stevens, and White passes, but it was enough for the first restrictions of the season to kick in. Traction tires were advised on those passes on Wednesday, even though the conditions were not that bad.

But that was just a taste. It won’t be long until our first chain requirements hit.

Are you ready?

You can put your studded tires on your cars starting Sunday. You should put chains in your car this weekend too. Truck drivers with rigs over 10,000 pounds of gross vehicle weight are required to carry their chains starting Sunday as well.

Put your cold weather bag back in your car. Check your tire treads. Replace those windshield wipers. And even practice installing your chains in your driveway.

Why?

Most of the pass closures happen because drivers aren’t prepared for winter weather, and they do dumb things behind the wheel.

“Most of the time, it is due to poor driver behavior,” Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) spokesperson Tina Werner said.

It only takes one unprepared or bad driver to close a pass in a storm.

“Excess speed and ill-prepared drivers are one of the top contributors to why we see mountain pass closures, particularly extended closures that then result in maybe multiple collisions,” Werner said.

It all starts with failing to follow the tire or chain requirements. You have to chain up when it says so.

Even all-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive vehicles are required to chain up on those rare occasions when chains are required for all.

“We hear from drivers that are like, ‘well, I have a four-wheel drive, or I drive X, Y, Z vehicle, and maybe my manufacturer recommends against chains,'” Werner said. “You are still encouraged to carry chains in the event that chains become required on your route.”

When conditions get so bad that everyone must chain up, that’s usually right before the state will close a pass for safety. Having studded tires installed doesn’t count as having chains either.

“Studded tires do not meet the chain requirement,” Werner said. “They still would need to install chains over a set of tires to proceed in areas where chains are required, and that is posted.”

Failing to follow the chain requirements comes with a $500 fine.

Be cautious on roadways

Speed and overconfidence in your car and your driving skills are also a big problem on passes during bad weather. You might have a huge pickup and massive mud and snow tires, but none of that will help you stop on snow and ice.

Be sure to give plows and de-icing trucks plenty of room too. While state law does not give a specific distance to stay behind them, 200 feet should be a minimum. State law doesn’t prohibit you from passing them either, but it’s never a good idea.

“Wait until the snowplow operator pulls over and lets you pass when it’s safe to do so,” Werner said. “That is for your safety as well as the safety of our plow operators.”

WSDOT preparation

WSDOT has 1,500 workers ready for winter weather, and Werner said they are ready to go.

“We’ve been preparing year-round for all of this with training and making sure that we are staffed up and ready to go,” she said. “Our equipment has been greased up and is also ready to go, along with our salt sheds.”

WSDOT uses a combination of salt, sand, and other chemicals to clear the roads, and Werner said the state is very green with its use of these chemicals.

“It’s a very thoughtful and very strategic approach to using the right amount of material in the right location when it’s needed during winter storms to help address safety and mobility for our highways,” she said.

The state operates more than 500 snowplows, 31 road graders, 20 snow blowers, and five tow plows.

And one more tip: be sure to download the WSDOT app and enable push notifications for travel conditions. The state got rid of its text alert system for Snoqualmie Pass in August.

Chris Sullivan is a traffic reporter for KIRO Newsradio. Read more of his stories here. Follow KIRO Newsradio traffic on X.

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