White Pass Closes Again After Rockslide

WASHINGTON — State transportation crews successfully reopened White Pass for a few hours Monday afternoon, marking the third of four major Cascade routes to reopen following lengthy, snow-related closures.

However, the victory was short-lived, as crews were forced to close the road again after a rockslide in the area early Monday evening. State transportation officials will reevaluate the pass Tuesday morning.

The Washington State Department of Transportation successfully reopened Snoqualmie and Blewett passes Sunday evening, after record-breaking snowfall buried the roadways under several feet and brought extreme avalanche dangers. Crews working in White Pass were able to clear enough snow and debris to resume traffic over White Pass shortly after 3 p.m. Monday.

WSDOT said significant work was left to clear Stevens Pass, where crews have worked for days to clear fallen trees, rocks and some of the largest snow slides in recent memory. Under the snow, officials said much of the route was also coated in a thick layer of ice.

Crews are hopeful Stevens Pass can reopen later in the week — potentially by Wednesday — along with Tumwater Canyon, where plows were working through more than 200 snow slides.

While Snoqualmie and Blewett are open to vehicles, officials warned that teams were still working to clear out shoulder areas and said travelers should plan on limited opportunities to stop until that work is complete.

Drivers can check the status of each mountain pass on WSDOT's website.