We are using Twitter to help keep you informed about happenings around WSDOT, Puget Sound Traffic information and now are excited to announce that we can tweet back to you mountain pass conditions and northbound Canadian border wait times.
In order to receive these reports from us, set yourself up with a Twitter account and follow WSDOT. Once we follow you, you can get real time mountain pass reports and border wait times using the following directions.
Getting mountain pass reports via Twitter
If you are a Twitter user you can get mountain pass conditions by sending a direct message to WSDOT. You can also get the pass report in a text message by sending a direct message from your phone via SMS, using the format below.
For a direct message from Twitter use this format:
pass [pass id]
Example: pass sno
For current mountain pass conditions from your cellphone, send a text message to 40404 using this format:
d wsdot pass [pass id]
Example: d wsdot pass ble
Pass ids are based on the first three letters of the pass name.
| Mountain Pass Name |
ID |
| Blewett Pass US97 |
ble |
| Cayuse Pass SR123 |
cay |
| Chinook Pass SR410 |
chi |
| Crystal to Greenwater SR410 |
cry |
| Disautel Pass SR 155 |
dis |
| Loup Loup Pass SR20 |
lou |
| Manastash Ridge I-82 |
man |
| Mt. Baker Hwy SR542 |
bak |
| North Cascade Hwy SR20 |
cas |
| Satus Pass US97 |
sat |
| Sherman Pass SR20 |
she |
| Snoqualmie Pass I-90 |
sno |
| Stevens Pass US2 |
ste |
| Wauconda Pass SR20 |
wau |
| White Pass US12 |
whi |
WSDOT will then tweet you back the current weather and road conditions for any mountain pass you specify.
Getting Canadian border wait times via Twitter
If you are a Twitter user you can get northbound Canadian border wait times by sending a direct message to WSDOT. You can also get the wait times in a text message by sending a direct message from your phone via SMS, using the format below.
For a direct message from Twitter use this format:
border [route id]
Example: border 5
For current border wait times from your cellphone, send a text message to 40404 using this format:
d wsdot border [route id]
Example: d wsdot border 5
Route ids are based on the northbound highway number.
| Highway Name |
Route ID |
| I-5 (Peace Arch Park) |
5 |
| SR 543 (Blaine) |
543 |
| SR 539 (Lynden) |
539 |
| SR 9 (Sumas) |
9 |
Getting aviation METAR weather reports via Twitter
METAR reports typically come from airports or permanent weather observation stations and are usually generated once an hour. These weather stations are identified by a unique 4-letter code.
If you are a Twitter user you can get aviation METAR weather reports by sending a direct message to WSDOT.
For a direct message from Twitter use this format:
metar [4-letter station identifier]
Example: metar kolm
Sample METAR text for Olympia Airport (KOLM):
KOLM 232154Z 06003KT 5SM BR OVC007 02/M01 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP234 T00171006
For METAR weather reports from your cellphone, send a text message to 40404 using this format:
d wsdot metar [4-letter station identifier]
Example: d wsdot metar ksea
Sample METAR text for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (KSEA):
KSEA 232153Z 01003KT 6SM HZ BKN008 BKN250 03/M01 A3021 RMK AO2 SLP239 BKN008 V SCT T00331006
A list of weather stations can be found in this file, stations.txt. This file is organized by state alphabetically, then by Canadian province and finally by all other stations. The returned METAR text is provided by NOAA's Aviation Weather Center.
Learn more about how to use Twitter at their help site.