North Cascades Highway closes for season

The North Cascades Highway, or Highway 20, closed for the season Monday, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The highway closed for the weekend Friday between milepost 134 at Ross Dam Trailhead and milepost 171 at the Silver Star Gate because of significant snowfall forecast over the weekend.

WSDOT crews reassessed conditions Monday and decided to keep the highway closed for the season, citing avalanche risk.

The stretch of the closure includes Rainy and Washington passes and dozens of avalanche paths between Whistler Mountain and Delany Ridge, according to WSDOT.

The pass typically closes in November because staffing, funding and proximity to the national park make it difficult for crews to do avalanche control through the winter, WSDOT said online.

Depending on snowmelt and road conditions, the pass will reopen in the spring.

Visitors can travel beyond the closure gates for winter recreation, but WSDOT encourages people to remember it is “a very active avalanche area that sees a huge amount of snow and has lots of potential hazards.”