From WADOT 11:00a 12/02/08:

Hi all,

Dustin and I have been getting calls and e mails asking about the status of the North Cascades - It's still open.

Before Thanksgiving, the tall (6 to 8,000 foot starting zone) avalanche chutes were about halfway to where they'd need to be to cause a threat and we haven't gotten much more snow (6 to 10,000 feet) over the last week. The forecast doesn't call for much more for the rest of the week, so until we get some "winter" it's going to continue as it has - crews plowing, etc. as needed. Our forecaster says Washington Pass ought to get another 2-3 inches between now and Thursday, which isn't real "threatening". Here's the most recent forecast from mid morning:

"Weather as of 1030 Tue was not looking too bad, with Washington pass area flurries and light snow showers. However, some concerns exist. New info suggesting a broken up array of scattered light and short term shower threats sweeping N to S through the area later today into early evening followed by N to S area clearing. A breezy N wind picks up overnight, but a light freeze will occur too. Basically, anything still damp by 9 p.m. is a black ice threat. Basically, if we get the evening showers, then the freeze will follow by midnight. Wed through Fri is dry, with cooler overnight temps and increasing frost."

Remember that the traditional closure dates are between Thanksgiving week and the 2nd week of December. One substantial storm is really all that is needed to fill those chutes and cause the avalanches that will close it for the season - and it's very likely to happen over the next two or three weeks, but who knows? We have around 14" to 16" of snow on the ground at the summit. A General rule for avalanche danger that closes the highway is 24" to 36" of snow coupled with some additional trigger, i.e. rain or more snow or a big temperature change.

When the season closure comes, it usually happens fast, so if you're planning a trip, check the pass report and the web page (www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/northcascades/) before you leave or call 5-1-1. Washington and Rainy are a thousand feet higher than Stevens and two thousand higher than Snoqualmie, so they often get snow when the others are getting rain.

I'll send out one of these e mails when the closure comes or if there's something going on up there that prompts one sooner than that.

Jeff

From Jeff Adamson at WSDOT, 12/10/08:

Hi all,
Here's the text of the news release I just sent posted: WENATCHEE - A weekend forecast for 1-1/2 to 3-feet of snow, high winds and much colder temperatures beginning Friday has prompted the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to temporarily close the North Cascades Highway at 7 p.m. Thursday night, December 11th. Twisp Maintenance Supervisor Don Becker says, "Avalanche chutes can fill and release in as few as 20 minutes under the right conditions which is faster than we can react to keep motorists or our crews safe. We don't want to risk back country recreationists getting caught in a potentially dangerous storm event either. We'll go back in on Monday and evaluate conditions for reopening."

Becker says crews will check all the parking areas between the two closure gates to "make sure everyone is out." While the storm front isn't expected to bring the heavy snow until Friday afternoon, "Having the gates closed Thursday night will keep anyone who didn't get the word from getting up there and caught in the weather event that's coming."

Four inches of new snow fell overnight. "Rainy and Washington passes are 1,000 feet higher than Stevens and 2,000 higher than Snoqualmie so typically, they get more snow, sooner and it's colder," according to NCRegion Avalanche technician Mike Stanford. The key to reopening is stability of the snow in the chutes and that will depend on how much snow comes down and the temperature. Stanford says, "By Monday, we could be looking at avalanche chutes with firm and stable snow or dangerous layers of unstable snow." If it can be reopened, it will likely take crews a day or more to clear the roadway for traffic.

SR 20 is gated closed between milepost 134, seven miles east of Diablo Dam on the west side of 4,855' Rainy Pass and milepost 171, nine miles west of Mazama on the east side of 5,477' Washington Pass.

The North Cascades Highway usually closes between Thanksgiving week and mid December, re-opening in late April or early May. The highway closed last winter on December 4th and reopened last spring, on May 1st.

Visit the North Cascades Web page: www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/northcascades that includes the opening and closing dates since the highway first opened in 1972.

PS: I'm trying to get a picture of the new snow from our avalanche or maintenance folks, and if successful, I'll get it posted on the the WSDOT FlickR site (the post Thanksgiving picture we posted got better than a thousand hits!) I know this is a disappointment for those of you who were planning on cross country skiing this weekend, but we can't risk having drivers stuck up there between a pair of snowslides this weekend. If the cold temps on Monday stabilize things - it's still going to take a day or so to plow it all and reopen - so don't plan on using the highway again until sometime Tuesday, if it can be reopened.

I still don't quite know how I managed it - but the news release version I sent to you said 7 p.m. tomorrow was the closure time. It's not - the closure time was extended to midnight and the news release was changed before it was posted. Somehow, I managed to paste an early "draft" version of the news release in my e mail to you. Sorry to clutter your in box with a revision - but those 5 hours could be important to some of you. Again, my apologies - I'll proofread my messages more closely next time.Jeff


Jeff

Thanks for the update! It is very kind of you to post this info on CC. Keep up the good work!

-Nate

From WSDOT's Jeff Adamson 12:43p, 12/15/08:

Hi all,
We got 14" of new snow (bringing the roadside total between Rainy and Washington passes to 30"), but we didn't get any major slides. Avalanche Control tells me that's due to the -5 degree temperatures which is keeping it stable at the moment. At the same time, Avalanche says the only prudent thing to do is leave it closed. In a nutshell, it would take well into Tuesday to clean up the 37 miles of highway between the east and west closure gates. Unfortunately, the next front is forecast to begin dropping what could be between 12 and 16 inches of new snow starting between midnight and 4 a.m. Wednesday morning. That snow, coupled with the forecast wind, will form an unstable layer putting the avalanche danger "way too high". The forecast then calls for a break on Friday, followed by another front on Friday night that will bring a lot more snow (described in the forecast as "mammoth"!). On the bright side - the highway stayed open a week and a half later than last year. On the not so bright side - the avalanche danger is probably going to inhibit a lot of back country recreation between now and Christmas until all the chutes fill and dump and then we get a break in the weather. Check with the Forest Service or Park Service before you go. WSDOT won't have anyone working beyond the gates and we'll no longer being doing pass reports for a closed pass. The links on the North Cascades Highway web page to the cameras at Newhalem and Winthrop and the back country weather station near Washington pass, as well as the weather service forecasts will still be useful as you plan your outings. Unless something unusual happens - don't expect more of these e mails until sometime in late February or early March when the Avalanche crew does their spring opening assessment trip. Be safe, Jeff

Dan - thanks for posting those updates.

So about how far is it from eastside closure to the top of WA pass? I've never driven that section, and i'm haveing a tough time finding that info...

Also, is there a bunch of decent BC ski accsess over towards Mazama and Winthrop? Lookimg at a map - it looks like the relief is there, but road access, private land etc... seems to more often than not - complicate optimistic armchair terrain scouting. My vehicle is on it's last legs, otherwise i'd just drive over and have a look for myself.

thanks