If the snow falling out of the sky across higher elevations in western Washington wasn’t enough of a sign winter is on its way, the seasonal closing of North Cascades Highway is.
The Washington Department of Transportation announced Monday, Nov. 18 that State Route 20 is closed for the winter season between Ross Dam trailhead (milepost 134) and Silver Star gate (milepost 171) due to avalanche risk.
SR 20 had already been closed over the weekend due to snowfall. WSDOT said maintenance and avalanche crews assessed conditions before the full closure was announced.
At least 15 inches of new snow and wet weather is forecasted for the North Cascades in the coming days, according to WSDOT.
North Cascades Highway typically closes during November because of winter conditions. It then opens either in late April or early May. SR 20 opened on April 19 this spring for the summer season.
Winter road and mountain pass information can be accessed via the WSDOT real-time travel map and mountain pass pages.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
