State Route 20 is the northernmost route across the Cascade Mountain Range in Washington and is commonly referred to as the North Cascades Highway. This scenic byway offers travelers a wide array of beautiful landscapes, and is part of the Cascade Loop, a 400-mile driving tour through the Cascades.
May 2008
May 15: The passes are closed due to avalanche danger. We had one slide Thursday morning. They will be closed through the weekend. We will reassess the situation on Monday.
The Northwest Avalanche and Weather Center has issued a backcountry avalanche warning advising everyone to stay out of the backcountry this weekend.
Do you want to know what the road or weather conditions are like? The pass reports ended in March but there are helpful links you can use. We suggest you first check the forecasts for the
western slope of the Northern Cascades and the
eastern slope. Then look at the
Newhalem and
Winthrop cameras and finally, check the real-time conditions from the
Washington Pass weather station. These will help you plan accordingly.
Sign-up for the
North Cascades mailing list and have e-mail updates on issues affecting the highway sent directly to your inbox.
We close the North Cascades Highway in the winter when snow and avalanche danger threatens the safety of drivers and maintenance crews. We close the highway on the west at milepost 134, east of Diablo, and on the east at milepost 170, 14 miles west of Mazama. On average, we usually close the highway between late November and early December and reopen it in the spring between late March and early May.
Current pass driving conditions
How can I get more information?
Contact:
Communications Jeff Adamson
2830 Euclid Ave / P.O. Box 98
Wenatchee, WA 98807
Phone: 509-667-2815
E-mail: AdamsoJ@wsdot.wa.gov
Communications Dustin Terpening
1043 Goldenrod Road, Suite 101
Burlington, WA 98233-3415
Phone: 360-757-5997
E-mail: Terpenid@wsdot.wa.gov
North Cascades Highway e-mail updates
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