Snowfall marks first day of spring at Snoqualmie Pass

Name: Road conditions quickly changing at Snoqualmie Pass
Uploaded: 2025-03-20T21:53:42-07:00
Description: Road conditions are expected to quickly change at Snoqualmie Pass, with snow beginning to stick Thursday night.

Road conditions quickly changing at Snoqualmie Pass

Road conditions are expected to quickly change at Snoqualmie Pass, with snow beginning to stick Thursday night.

SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. - Snow started sticking to the roads late Thursday night at Snoqualmie Pass.

At Red Mountain Coffee at the summit, late March snowfall is a welcome springtime surprise.

"It’s been snowing like this all day," said Mason Vrooman, a Red Mountain Coffee employee.

Steady snowfall has kept Vrooman and his coworkers busy.

"It’s been going like this for about a week, I’m pretty happy with it," said Vrooman.

The weather put a little spring in everyone's step at the summit.

"We get all the skiers, snowboarders coming through, they are like, 'this is awesome,'" said Vrooman.

"As a skier, this is what we want. We had a really late snow here this year, because it didn’t snow in January, so snowing in March, the first day of spring, makes me happy," said Hunter Merrill, a skier.

Merrill was taking advantage of the weather on Thursday afternoon. The roads were better for travel earlier in the afternoon, as pictured below.

"Conditions are pretty good. We got a few inches of fresh snow last night and I went up for some backcountry skiing after work and just did a quick little lap in the trees. Roads have been pretty good," said Merrill.

He says for drivers, the roads were great Thursday afternoon, but Thursday night into Friday morning may be a different story.

"It sounds like there is a bigger storm coming in. I wouldn’t recommend coming up here tomorrow morning, early," he said.

While studded tires may come in handy, the time period during which Washington drivers can use them is quickly coming to a close.

WSDOT says they're only legal from November 1 through March 31, and drivers using studded tires after the 31st could receive a fine from law enforcement.

"I heard it’s upwards of $200," said Vrooman. "Oh yeah, it’s a big fine."

Mason says he has first-hand experience, after being pulled over with studded tires in the past in Cle Elum. He has a good sense of humor after nearly getting a hefty fine himself.

"I almost did. I got pulled over with studs on in June," Vrooman said with a smile.

A reminder from WSDOT about those studded tires. There is no individual exception to the studded tire season. When traveling in Washington, you are required to follow the state laws, even if traveling from another state with differing laws.

The Source: Information in this story is from the Washington State Department of Transportation and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.