Are You Prepared for Snow? Chinook Pass Now Closed for the Season

Were you expecting snow in the mountains this soon? A foot of snow fell Wednesday across SR 410/Chinook Pass and SR 123 and Cayuse Pass closing both passes for the season. If it feels early you are not wrong, according to the WSDOT those passes usually shut down for the season in mid-November. This has only happened twice in the past 92 years.

Robert Stephenson

The Washington Snowflakes Are Breaking Records

This is the earliest closure of Chinook Pass, tied with 2005, since the 1930s.

No wonder it feels early but hard to say just yet what is in store this year for winter weather. According to the Snoqualmie Pass via Accu weather, we are in for about an inch or entering November so it's important to make sure that you're prepared.

Do You Have Snow Chains in Your Trunk?

When "chains required" signs are posted, all-wheel drive vehicles will be exempt from the chain requirement when all wheels are in gear and are equipped with approved traction devices as specified in WAC 204-24-040 provided that tire chains for at least one set of drive tires are carried in the vehicle.

Canva

Make it a habit by November 1st to have chains in your trunk when crossing over I-90. Every year the pass shuts down multiple times with people spinning out and getting stuck. There really isn't an excuse, it's imperative that you plan ahead by checking the weather report and making sure you are always ready, know before you roll!

Snowflakes Are Falling on the Pass

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.