Holiday drivers return home amid wintry conditions

SNOQUALMIE, Wash. — Snow continued falling down on Snoqualmie Pass Monday morning, as WSDOT crews and plows continued their work over the weekend.

“Feels like a pretty standard day on the pass. Pretty cold, roads feel pretty slick,” Hunter, a local resident, said on Monday morning. “A lot of times, (residents are) dealing with helping people who get their cars stuck. Or helping ‘unshovel’ people. But that’s kind of the way it goes around here.”

A second evening of winter weather hitting the area over the weekend caused some parts of I-90 heading up to the summit to be covered in slush and ice. Crews spent the entire day driving up and down the highways with plows and trucks treating the road in every way they could to keep roads safe.

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“When you are seeing a weather event like this, there are going to be areas of poor visibility. The snow is building up onto the roadway. It’s going to be very, very dangerous,” Meagan Lott with WSDOT said.

Travel requirements are changing with the weather, including on Monday morning. While traction tires were initially advised, that later changed to chains required for all cars without all-wheel drive.

“Any time you are traveling over a mountain pass, tonight or anytime, it’s always good to have a bag with extra warm clothing, food, extra water, and any medications you may need,” Lott said. “So we need drivers to slow down, give themselves plenty of time and following distance, and follow the traction tire requirements.”

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Those who did drive on the pass during the winter weather told KIRO 7 it’s important to drive cautiously, especially since conditions can change in an instant.

“Easy does it. That’s what gets me by every time. Usually people are blowing past me driving crazy,” Raiders fan Ryan Ortivez said.

Ortivez was heading back to Idaho after attending the Seahawks game on Sunday. He says he’s driven through the pass during rough conditions, which is why he understands the need to play it safe.

“Definitely felt like it was worth the drive. Worth the risk driving out in this mess,” Ortivez said.

“There were many larger trucks pulled over, chaining up on the way up. But for all-wheel drive, 4-wheel drive? It was pretty decent,” Roy, who is traveling from Western Washington to Spokane, said on Monday morning. “Just go slow.”

By 10 a.m. on Monday, chain requirements were lowered to traction tire advisories.

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