SEATTLE — Eastbound Interstate 90 reopened over Snoqualmie Pass after it closed due to spinouts as snow falls in the mountains.
I-90 was closed Tuesday for about an hour and a half at milepost 47, which is about 5 miles west of the summit near Denny Creek. There is snow and slush on the roadway, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
Chains are required for eastbound traffic on all cars except those with all-wheel or four-wheel drive.
The pass is also open to westbound traffic. Traction tires are required for most vehicles, and chains are required for vehicles over 10,000 GVW. Oversize vehicles are prohibited, according to WSDOT.
Check conditions for other mountain passes here.
Snow is falling at all of the mountain passes and should produce 4-8 inches of new snow mainly during the day Tuesday. The heavier amounts are likely to be at Stevens Pass due to the convergence zone, but it could drift southward to Snoqualmie Pass during the afternoon.
However, Wednesday is expected to be a dry day, which should help Thanksgiving travel conditions.
A stronger front will move in for Thanksgiving with rainy and breezy conditions. It will likely be rain over the mountain passes, but it could start as snow at Snoqualmie and especially Stevens Pass on Thursday morning. However, it should change quickly to rain with snow level levels rising to 6,000-7,000 feet.
WSDOT warned earlier this month that staff shortages could mean a slower snow response this winter, including lack of plows and extended road closures.
Retirements, pandemic-related hiring freezes and a statewide COVID-19 vaccine mandate have all contributed to a smaller workforce. As of Oct. 19, WSDOT said it is down about 300 winter operations workers. It went from a pre-pandemic workforce of about 1,500 people to about 1,200.