Date:
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Contact:
Katie J. Skipper, WSDOT Communications, 360-757-5947 (Burlington)
The Artist Point season has officially ended.
Snow depths at the 5,140-foot high Artist Point parking lot have bounced between a foot and a few inches during the past week, prompting maintenance officials to close the upper gate near the visitor's center Sept. 27.
With forecasts calling for a descending snow line, the upper gate will remain closed, and the lower gate is scheduled to close Monday, Oct. 8, unless snow and ice force crews to close it sooner.
The lower gate is just above the Mt. Baker Ski Area parking lot. It's about a mile away from the upper gate and more than 1,000 feet below Artist Point.
The last 2 1/2 miles of Mount Baker Highway to Artist Point close every year with the first snowfall, usually between the end of September and mid-October. Crews cleared snow and opened the road July 28 this year.
The end of the highway, maintained only for summer recreational use of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, is not plowed through the winter and not equipped with safety features such as guardrails. Crews keep a sharp eye on the weather so they can close the highway and keep drivers safe.
Even though winter weather is making its first appearance in the mountains, now is the time for drivers to start preparing for ice and snow. Check out WSDOT’s winter driving tips at www.wsdot.wa.gov/winter/.
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