Guest Blog Post by John Stimberis, WSDOT Avalanche Supervisor
Each spring
WSDOT crews clearing Chinook Pass
It’s a bit different this year. Winter didn’t deliver the ample
We currently have snow above these two highways and the potential to continue building a
Avalanches crossing a previously cleared stretch of highway
Situations like this can be prevented by avoiding slopes which directly affect the highway. Keep in mind that even a quick side slip or traversing a slope during the warm part of the day can be enough to start a wet loose avalanche.
Our concerns may never materialize if it doesn’t snow, but snow can happen throughout April and into May. Let’s just be sure that our fun doesn’t become a problem for someone driving the highway. Who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky and have a long spring ski season with good highway access.
US 20 opening information: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/northcascades
SR 410 opening information: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/passes/chinook
NWAC's role during spring highway clearing operations: Even after daily mountain weather and avalanche forecasts have stopped, NWAC provides regular mountain weather forecasts for the crews at Chinook and occasionally for the crews at Washington Pass during their spring operations. The regular exchange of weather and