TOUTLE — An abnormally mild winter has allowed state Highway 504 near Mount St. Helens to open earlier than usual. Crews reopened the highway east of Hummocks Trailhead at 9 a.m. Friday, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.
The easternmost segment of the highway, known as the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway, closes each winter due to snowy conditions. Workers this year didn’t have to clear the large snow drifts that usually pile up, but did remove plenty of debris from the highway, according to WSDOT.
The highway typically opens in time for the anniversary marking Mount St. Helens’ May 18, 1980, eruption.
