Mountain passes impacted by winter weather causing intermittent closures
NORTH BEND, Wash. - Travel is treacherous over Washington mountain passes with Snoqualmie, Stevens and White all closing intermittently.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said it highly recommends avoiding travel over the mountain passes if possible.
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Eastbound I-90 closed Wednesday afternoon at North Bend due to multiple spinouts and crashes. Avalanche work was also planned five miles east of the Snoqualmie Pass summit.
As of 6:30 p.m., both directions of I-90 re-opened.
By 4 p.m., US 2 over Stevens Pass was closed in both directions - westbound at milepost 64 at the summit and eastbound at milepost 80 near Rayrock.
Stevens Pass reopened in both directions around 6:30 p.m.
Both directions of US 12 over White Pass were closed due to a snowslide. WSDOT said the ski area was accessible but travel west of it was not possible. Westbound traffic was stopped at milepost 168, 17 miles east of the summit. Eastbound traffic was stopped at milepost 151 at the summit.
US 12 will be closed overnight.
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EARLIER CLOSURES
Both directions of Interstate 90 were closed for several hours earlier in the day due to icy road conditions and multiple crashes. That closure started after 1 a.m., from Milepost 34 (near North Bend) to Milepost 106 (near Ellensburg).
According to Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson, there was a three-vehicle crash in the westbound lanes of I-90 in North Bend, where a pickup truck lost control. Injuries from this crash are unknown.
An ice storm bears down on the Pacific Northwest as East and South battle bitter cold
Residents of the Pacific Northwest suffered more misery as an ice storm bore down Wednesday, threatening to turn mountain highways treacherous and zap power in bitterly cold temperatures.
"There are high winds and an ice storm. DO NOT travel if you don’t have to! Take it SLOW!! Treacherous driving right now," he said.
Crash scene on westbound I-90 near North Bend on Jan. 17, 2024. (WSP Trooper Rick Johnson)
Johnson also said a trooper who was at the scene of another crash on eastbound I-90 near North Bend was struck in his patrol car by another vehicle at freeway speeds. The trooper was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
This is a developing story, and will be updated.