SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. — Wintry conditions largely settled by Wednesday evening at Snoqualmie Pass, after a blizzard warning earlier in the day was accompanied by gusty winds and snowfall.
A thin blanket of white now starts to cover the pass, while western Washington’s mountains continue facing low snow levels just days before the start of Winter.
RELATED: Blizzard warning issued as snow levels plunge, making mountain travel dangerous
“Usually we have at least a foot or two coming and building up on the mountain, it’s kind of sad not having it right now,” said Garry Kernan while driving back home to Ellensburg.
Snowplows traveled up I-90 throughout the afternoon to prepare for an expected 10-15 inches of snow at Snoqualmie Pass by the end of the day, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
NWS officials also recorded incredibly high wind gusts whipping through the mountains Wednesday morning: 82 miles per hour at the lower level of Snoqualmie Pass, 99 miles per hour at White Pass, and 112 miles per hour at Alpental. Several travelers told KOMO News they tried to avoid driving in these conditions.
“We made it a point to leave around noon so that we can have less wind and better conditions on the roadway,” Charro Cruz explained.
The mix of wintry conditions and winds prompted a blizzard warning across the mountains, which expired around 12 p.m. on Wednesday. Overall, officials urged drivers to use extra caution traveling through the pass because of poor road conditions.
“We’re prepared. I’ve got good tires and good chains and four wheel drive,” Kernan continued, “So, I’m not too worried about it.
Susan Oas and her husband spent much of Wednesday driving from Idaho back home to Seattle. Oas said they had decent conditions and beautiful views, but that she’s grateful her car was prepared to handle the wind.
“Those Subarus are great! They track really well, we had no problem, we just switched up,” she explained. “But heavy, heavy winds. You could feel buffeted around a bit.”
Some local business, including a coffee shop at a popular rest stop and bathrooms near the Summit at Snoqualmie, spent Wednesday with a closed door and their lights off.
“I didn’t realize that there was no power here, so hopefully it’s okay when we reach Seattle,” Cruz told KOMO News.
All the while, many pass travelers still have their eyes on the mostly bare mountains and slopes, while they patiently wait for a delayed ski season.
The latest conditions report from the Summit at Snoqualmie said the resort still doesn’t have enough snow to open this weekend, but Summit West has a new snowmaking system this winter that officials believe will help them open sooner than in years past.
“It varies every year, so just got to pray that we get better weather, better snowpack in the wintertime,” Kernan said.
