SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. — Snow is a welcome sight at Snoqualmie Pass, especially this year when western Washington mountain areas have seen below-average snowfall levels.
Snow totals in the Cascades are expected to total anywhere from 6 to 12 inches at levels around 1,000-1,500 feet over the weekend. The National Weather Service forecasted 8 to 14 inches for levels above 2,000 feet. As much as 2 feet of snow is projected at levels above 2,000 feet for the Cascades in Whatcom and Skagit Counties.
"I think people are itching to get out and play in the snow because it's been a pretty slow start to winter so far," said Chief Jay Wiseman of Snoqualmie Pass Fire and Rescue.
Karter Riach, the marketing director at Summit at Snoqualmie, said this month has been slow for snowfall and hopes this big storm could turn things around.
“If you're a skier or snowboarder in Washington, you've been waiting a long time for this. The snow has finally come,” said Riach.
But with more snow in the mountains comes an increase in crashes on the pass, which Wiseman said are usually caused by drivers speeding and not being prepared for winter weather.
"We need drivers to stop overestimating their driving ability and underestimating the storm," he added.
Wiseman said that every time there is a major snow event, the department responds to at least three or four serious crashes.
"We typically get called to those accidents when there's injuries, there's several more that that occur that that aren't injury that we that we don't respond to," he said.
The department has already responded to some crashes this week, including one that the Washington State Patrol said ended in a minor injury after the driver lost control of their vehicle in slush.
"The biggest advice I can give them is to slow down," Wiseman said. "That's probably the number one contributor to car accidents on Snoqualmie Pass."
Chief Wiseman says approximately 30,000 people travel over the pass on just one weekend day. With fresh snow in the forecast at the ski resorts, it's expected to be a busy weekend.
"We are prepared. We plan for the worst and hope for the best," Wiseman said.
Wiseman urges people to be prepared with chains, food, and blankets in their car in case they face bad weather on the roads or get stuck on the pass. He also advises people to have a full tank of gas and to check for WSDOT restrictions before heading over the pass.