NORTH BEND, Wash. — Stevens Pass on US 2 reopened Tuesday at 8 p.m. after crews removed ice from the roadway after freezing rain fell.
Interstate 90 and US 2 both closed over the Cascades Saturday due to treacherous conditions and avalanche danger. I-90 between North Bend and Ellensburg reopened just after 9 a.m. on Christmas morning after being closed most of Saturday.
Traction tires are advised on US 2 and they are required on I-90.
Freezing rain brought nearly 6 inches of ice to the roadway, WSDOT said Monday. A grader can scrape up between 2 and 3 inches of ice per pass, which WSDOT said makes it a slow job.
The Stevens Pass Ski Resort announced that they are planning to have the front side of the resort open at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 28 and will be open for night skiing until 10 p.m. The backside and the Nordic Center will likely not open until Thursday.
State transportation officials cautioned drivers from going around closure points on Stevens Pass.
Earlier on Saturday, Snoqualmie Pass said in a tweet that a semi-truck was blocking the eastbound lanes of I-90. The lanes were reopened just after 9 a.m. but were quickly closed again by officials, according to tweets from Snoqualmie Pass.
One driver who drove from Cle Elum to North Bend was one of the last cars to make it over Snoqualmie Pass before it closed. He said it was the worst pass conditions he has seen and he understands WSDOT shut it down.
“We just went over the pass, it got shut down right behind us, and we had to drive around an avalanche on the way down," said Chris Laverdure. "It's been really harrowing. It was ice the whole way down the pass on the other side.”
Snoqualmie Pass Fire & Rescue Chief Jay Wiseman said when the pass does reopen, people need to have chains, good tires, and to be patient.
“Slow down a little bit," said Wiseman. "If it takes you 30 more minutes to get to your destination, it's probably better you get there safely.”
The closures came one day after freezing rain hampered any kind of travel across the region.
Washington State Patrol troopers responded to over 200 crashes in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties on Friday, as vehicles slipped over solid sheets of ice on the roadways.
The Seattle Fire Department responded to 233 calls for people slipping and falling on ice and vehicle collisions from 5 p.m. on Thursday through 5 p.m. on Friday. For comparison, Seattle Fire has responded to an average of 287 calls per day this year.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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