Snow Removal Complete On North Cascades Highway

Crews with the Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) are nearly four weeks into their efforts to reopen the North Cascades Highway for the season.

The 37-mile stretch of State Route 20, which includes Rainy and Washington Passes, closes annually during the winter months from the Ross Dam Trailhead to Silver Star due to heavy snow and persistent avalanche risks.

DOT spokesperson, Lauren Loebsack, says the road has been fully cleared of snow as of this week, but there's still a little more that needs to be done before it can be fully reopened.

Get our free mobile app

"The road is clear of snow but there's still spring repairs that need to happen behind the closure points, including over the next week or two, drainage and guardrail repairs, and potholing before we can open it up for traffic."

Loebsack says many of the avalanche chutes along the highway still need to be cleared of snow, and crews will be addressing these concerns in the coming days.

Now that the road has been cleared of snow, the DOT says it's an ideal time for bicyclists to venture through the closure zone without the concerns associated with motorized traffic using the highway. However, cyclists should plan for patches of ice and mud on the roadway and remember that there is no cell service in the area.

The DOT adds that any recreationists planning to visit the backcountry through the closure zone should check the latest avalanche forecasts at the Northwest Avalanche Center's website.

Loebsack says if all goes according to plan and crews don't hit any major snags or encounter any spring snowstorms, the highway should be reopened by the end of the month.

"It's on target to be an April opening, later in April I think. After avalanche control work happens we'll have a better picture of what the conditions are up there and be able to look at the forecast and make our call for reopening a little more closely."

Last year the highway reopened on April 19, which was its third earliest reopening in the past ten years.

The earliest the highway has ever reopened for the season was on March 10, 2005 aside from the winter of 1976-77, when it never closed for the season.