Sometimes in life, taking the high road only leads to trouble. Thursday was one of those days.
Nasty weather put a beating on the highways running across the Cascade Range, prompting the Washington State Department of Transportation to close all but one of the main routes connecting Eastern and Western Washington.
U.S. Highway 12 at Stevens Pass was closed due to avalanche danger. Interstate 90 at Snoqualmie Pass also closed, too dangerous for WSDOT crews to even assess roadway conditions. Highway 12’s White Pass was choked with snowslides.
According to WSDOT’s Twitter page, the last time all three passes had closed simultaneously was Feb. 7, 2008, and before that, 1996.
State Highway 14, which skirts the mountains and runs through the Columbia River Gorge to Vancouver, remained open, but road conditions weren’t perfect. Most of the roadway was bare and wet, but WSDOT advised drivers to use traction tires near Maryhill.
WSDOT spokesman Bart Treece said drivers should watch the forecast and be prepared for hazardous road conditions if they plan to drive across the state.
“It’s been an usual winter,” he said. “We’ve seen several wet-weather events that have impacted roads throughout Washington state … it’s really important they know before they go — especially if they go over the mountains after the passes reopen.”
In Oregon, Interstate 84 and other trans-mountain passes were open Thursday.
“The Gorge has been difficult, but it is open,” ODOT spokesman Don Hamilton said. “This winter, we’ve had snow and freezing rain, and, for all I know, locusts and falling frogs.”
Hamilton said ODOT snow-removal crews were still dealing with challenging weather, but he’s expecting conditions to change soon.
“They’re still in the middle of some very arduous winter weather, but it should start to ease up soon, and we’re hoping for clearing for next couple days,” he said.
