STEVENS PASS — High avalanche danger has forced officials to close all the mountain highway passes in the state.
“If its not a life or death reason to go over the pass, postpone your trip,” Washington State Patrol trooper Kirk Rudeen said.
Stevens Pass ski resort was closed today for the second day in a row, and officials already have closed the ski area for Saturday, according to the resort’s Web site.
Traffic to eastern Washington was being diverted through Portland and the Tri-Cities.
Crews hoped to reopen I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass Friday night. No estimated was given when Stevens Pass or White Pass may reopen.
Overnight, more than 15 inches of heavy, wet snow fell at the pass, causing whiteout conditions and several avalanches.
Another foot of snow is forecast to fall in the mountain passes today, according to the National Weather Service in Seattle.
By noontime, 10 inches of new snow already had fallen, a rate of about two inches an hour at the passes, transportation department officials said.
The high winds and warming temperatures have created extremely high avalanche danger. Backcountry travel is discouraged.
White Pass also is closed and I-90 at Snoqualmie Pass will be closed intermittently for avalanche control throughout the day, officials said.
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