Snoqualmie Pass reopens after spinouts, crashes during heavy snow

Drivers were forced to wait in their cars for several hours Thursday night into Friday morning after portions of Snoqualmie Pass were closed due to several crashes and spinouts during a snowstorm.

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“Our goal is to clear the collisions, clear the highway, and then clear out the drivers who may be trapped within the closure points,” said Summer Derrey with the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The Snoqualmie Pass closed between North Bend and Ellensburg, where drivers like Enedo Garza and his family were figuring out their next move.

The family of four lives in Toppenish, and had just arrived back in Western Washington from a vacation. When asked if they’ve been trapped before, Garza said: “I have been living in Washington for 24 years, this is the first time.”

“Keep in mind, it is a mountain pass,” Derrey said. “This storm came on a little bit more sudden than expected and that’s normal.”

Derrey says between now and March, drivers need to be prepared to drive through the pass with the proper supplies to help prevent a crash, or in case they get stuck in a closure, adding, “drivers need to think in terms of, one, what will keep you comfortable and, two, what would I do in case of an emergency.”

WSDOT asks drivers to visit their website to learn what supplies they need with their vehicles when traveling through the mountains.

I-90 will reopen in both directions at midnight. Drivers should plan for heavy snow and drive cautiously.

— Snoqualmie Pass (@SnoqualmiePass) November 19, 2021

By Andrew Scheinthal, KIRO 7 News