Snow Closes Mountain Passes for Winter

Heading into Thanksgiving weekend, most of Washington's seasonal mountain passes have closed for the winter.

Cayuse Pass (SR 123) and Chinook Pass (SR 410) closed earlier this month, limiting access in and around Mount Rainier National Park. Cayuse Pass is closed within Mount Rainier National Park from the 4,675-foot Cayuse Pass summit to Stevens Canyon Road. Chinook Pass is closed for the season from milepost 74.5 near Morse Creek to milepost 57.5 near Crystal Mountain Blvd. due to heavy snowfall and avalanche danger.

The North Cascades Highway (SR 20) is closed for the season, due to heavy snowfall and avalanche danger. The closure is between milepost 171 near the Silver Star gate and milepost 134, near the Diablo Gate.

The Mountain Loop Highway is currently open between Deer Creek Road and Barlow Pass, though it will likely soon close for winter. Check the Snohomish County road closure website for updates.

Where to hike and snowshoe

While the closure of the North Cascades Highway makes cross-Cascades travel more difficult, there are great snowshoeing, skiing and even hiking options on both the east and west sides of the pass. Check out WTA's Hiking Guide for some North Cascades suggestions on where to go.

When will the passes open again?

Well, that's up to Mother Nature. But in the past, Cayuse & Chinook passes usually open in May, and the North Cascades Highway generally is plowed out by late April. You can see the historical dates here.

Mountain pass updates all winter

You can also follow the conditions on all major mountain passes throughout the winter at the Department of Washington's Department of Transportation website or Twitter feed.