Stevens Pass Could Open at 10 AM Thursday; Status of White Pass More Complicated

Travel through Washington’s mountain passes should be improving with the opening of Stevens Pass and Tumwater Canyon, scheduled for 10 am Thursday.

Wednesday's opening was delayed because of safety risks when heavy rain brought more avalanche danger at the Pass and new snow slides near Tumwater Canyon.

There have been more than 200 snow slides in the Canyon since the initial storm last Thursday.

There were also areas with 4-inch-thick ice at the Pass that had to be removed.

The Wednesday opening comes nearly a week after Stevens Pass was forced to close during last week's record-breaking snowfall.

Meanwhile, an update on the status of White Pass is expected Thursday afternoon.

The roadway reopened Monday afternoon, but quickly reclosed when a rockslide west of the summit left a large boulder exposed about 125 feet above the highway.

WSDOT says a specialized contractor has been brought in to remove the massive boulder (12 feet by 8 feet by 6 feet), which is roughly the size of a three-quarter ton pickup and likely would take up most of a two-car garage.

Removal may require the rock to be broken into pieces once it’s brought down from the hillside to be hauled away.

The reopening of all the mountain passes is expected to relieve the shortage of goods being delivered to Washington's eastside, which has left some store shelves empty.