SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. — Heavy snowfall often means Interstate 90 is shut down altogether.
Residents who call the area near Snoqualmie Pass home are advocating more be done to prevent the heavily traveled highway from closing on Saturday.
Perhaps no one knows the twists and turns of I-90 through Snoqualmie Pass better than Jay Wiseman, Snoqualmie Pass fire and rescue chief.
“The biggest issue we encounter is the volume of people, both passenger vehicles and trucks that aren’t prepared to travel in snowy conditions,” Wiseman said.
Wiseman's station jumps into action should an accident bring the interstate to a standstill.
And unfortunately, Seattle firefighter Josh McBride and others will tell you closures of the mountain pass have been commonplace. That’s what Saturday night is all about – a chance to orient new members of the community to life on the mountain.
McBride is making the effort to clear the roadway a step further. He's a part of the newly formed Snoqualmie Pass Community Association.
“With Snoqualmie Pass becoming the busiest mountain pass in the country – closures can be dramatic," McBride said. "With any snow event that’s coming in we’re almost guaranteed to have some sort of closure that occurs."
McBride and his group are working with Kittatas and King Counties to improve communications during closures. The group is hoping lawmakers increase funding to the growing mountain community.
“The conversation is really not about the 500 people who live here," McBride said. "It’s about the bigger question," McBride said. "We have to figure out a way to improve traffic over I-90, not only for us but for everyone."
The fire chief has a message to drivers. He wants anyone who plans to cross the pass to heed all warnings by the state’s Department of Transportation. That could mean carrying chains or even postponing a trip altogether depending on the road conditions.