Hwy 20 North Cascade

[ghosthunter]

Just got a email today.
They plan to start clearing April 10.
Eight weeks to clear. May not be open for Memorial Day.

25 ft on the Hwy.

Plus slides and full chutes.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Can't wait to ride thru after the opening on my Multistrada. 

[X-Force]

We have an irrigation meeting in Winthrop this weekend. I'm debating on making the drive Friday... its so nice to drive from Woolley to Winthrop with the pass open, 2 is a pain.  I feel bad for Winthrop if the pass isn't open for the holiday weekend. Lots of loss in $$$

[horsehunter509]

Was up there snowmobiling on sunday. Slides are pretty big and about 10.5 to 11 ft of snow on summit. Probably be a little longer opening then the last few years.

[X-Force]

Why are they starting the removal process a month later than usual?

[hollymaster]

Why are they starting the removal process a month later than usual?

Calling for more snow this weekend.

[Igor]

Why are they starting the removal process a month later than usual?

You are subscribed to North Cascades Highway Newsletter for Washington State Department of Transportation. This information has recently been updated, and is now available.

Hi all,

The North Cascades Highway. clearing begins April 10 (we hope), but heavy snowpack could keep it closed until June.

The latest reopening ever was the year after it first opened, June 14, 1974. If the clearing effort takes a full eight weeks, this year’s reopening could extend beyond Memorial Day into June, too. The weather, current snow slides over the road and the full chutes that haven’t emptied yet make it unsafe to begin any clearing work earlier than April 10. The volumes of snow through the 34 mile closed section is responsible for the up to eight-week estimate to reopen.

“An early opening is in time for the lowland fishing season opening, the third week in April. A typical opening is by the first weekend in May for Winthrop’s “49’er Days”. We’ve only been closed through Memorial Day once in 40 years, but it could happen this year,” said Twisp maintenance supervisor Don Becker.

On last Thursday’s assessment trip, WSDOT avalanche and maintenance staff found snow over the road 25 feet high below four of the 11 Cutthroat Ridge avalanche chutes. Below Liberty Bell Mountain the three main chutes were still full but had 35 to 45 foot accumulations on the highway below them. Even Whistler, between Washington and Rainy Passes had dumped 15 feet onto the highway, three times more than recorded in the past decade.

Last year clearing started on March 17 and the highway opened a month later on April 22. Avalanches closed the highway last November 21. The latest opening in the last 10 years was May 25, 2011.

There is another change this year. Too many close calls as the volume of bicycle and skiers has continued to increase while our crews are working has forced closure of the highway Monday through Thursday during the clearing. You’re still welcome Friday through Sunday. We still advise checking with the NW Avalanche Center, the National Park Service or the U.S. Forest Service about the back country avalanche conditions before you go.

We’ll continue posting pictures week to week on FlickR as usual (www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/albums/72157678384383793), but when the clearing is complete this year, we’re hoping to produce a full video record of the reopening from start to finish edited in a movie form.

Expect to hear from us again in about two weeks.

[carlyoungs]

This sounds like an excellent area to re introduce some grizzly bears.

[timberfaller]

  to go along with all the wolves there!

[HighlandLofts]

Don't forget about the Fishers they are planting there too.

The Libs love Predators of all sizes.

[sumpnz]

Well, at least they're starting when they said they would.

STATUS UPDATE -
April 10, 2017

SR 20 remains closed but the spring reopening work started today, Monday April 10. 

Clearing work may take as many as 8 weeks which would be the latest since 1974's June 14 reopening.

During the clearing, pedestrians (skiers) & bicyclists are prohibited Monday through Thursday, but allowed past the gates Friday through Sunday.