An ice storm closed down I-90 Snoqualmie Pass for about 24-hours heading into Christmas Day, while U.S. 2 Stevens Pass was closed for most of four days during and after the holiday weekend.
WSDOT announced the closures Saturday morning because of extreme winter weather conditions, avalanche danger and potential of falling trees due to ice.
The heavy snowfall in the Cascades this week might be making the landscape look like a winter wonderland, but it's creating a hellish nightmare for drivers on the state's mountain passes.
Both U.S. Highway 2 over Stevens Pass and U.S. 97 over Blewett Pass have experienced closures due to slick and treacherous conditions since Tuesday, and earlier this morning, Interstate-90 (I-90) Snoqualmie Pass
Old Man Winter is going to make travel on the state's major roadways a treacherous undertaking for the Christmas holiday this year.
Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) spokesperson, Lauren Loebsack, says this week's heavy snow and frigid temperatures have already created some major issues for motorists...
**UPDATE - 12/21/22 - 12:45 p.m.**
A seven-mile stretch of State Route 172 remains closed due to poor visibility from blowing snow and large snow drifts.
The closure is from milepost 14 near the junction of McNeil Canyon Road and milepost 21 west of Mansfield...
Officers found the vehicle abandoned and with the assistance of a K9, tracked down both the driver and passenger from fresh footprints left in the snow.