UPDATE:  US2 Reopened through Tumwater Canyon at 3pm Sunday after a series of slides were cleared and WSDOT officials determined the road was safe to travel.

 

ORIGINAL POST:

WSDOT blocked off US 2 Saturday, from the east of Coles Corner to the city of Leavenworth, due to avalanche dangers on Tumwater Canyon.

On Friday night, Tumwater Canyon had roughly 13 snow slides, with an additional eight inches of snow expected to fall throughout Saturday.

WSDOT Communications Specialist Lauren Loebsack says it is currently not safe for crews to clear some of the snow.

Detours are available through I-90, US 97 onto Blewett Pass, and Chumstick Highway.

Loebseck advises drivers to be careful when driving through Chumstick Highway.

“If you're taking Chumstick Highway as a detour for US 2, [understand] that this is a local road, and it needs to serve county needs and it doesn't have as great of a capacity as a highway,” Loebsack said. 

Commercial vehicles over 26,000 gross vehicle weight are restricted on Chumstick Highway.

There is currently no estimated time for reopening.

“After this snowcrest passes Sunday morning, if things look stable from our avalanche crews’ perspective, we'll go in there and start clearing [snow],” Loebsack said.

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