U.S. 2 closes near Stevens Pass as blizzard hits Cascades

STEVENS PASS — U.S. 2 closed at Stevens Pass on Tuesday afternoon due to a blizzard that brought at least 16 inches of snow to the Cascades.

Washington State Patrol trooper Kelsey Harding posted around 3:30 p.m. on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the road was closed from milepost 59 (near Scenic) to milepost 80 (a few miles west of Cole’s Corner).

“There is no ETA for the roadway to open,” she wrote in a post.

Harding said no crashes with serious injuries were reported. Cars had gotten stuck and some people had dealt with broken chains, she added.

State Department of Transportation cameras showed heavy snow at the pass, which is a little over 4,000 feet. WSDOT closed the pass, stating on its website this was due to “high winds, poor visibility, and heavy snow.”

A rare “Blizzard Warning” was issued Tuesday afternoon for the Cascades, including Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass. Department of Transportation crews closed parts of Snoqualmie Pass on Tuesday for avalanche control along I-90. That pass was open Tuesday afternoon.

Snow also started falling along Highway 530, in north Snohomish County, part of the first wave of a cold spell expected to last the rest of the week. Temperatures were expected to get into the teens in the lowlands, and colder at higher elevations.

Darrington residents appeared to be grabbing supplies Tuesday afternoon, Fire District 24 Chief Joel Johnson said. He noted their headquarters are across from the Darrington IGA, a grocery store.

“People are stocking up,” he said.

Johnson said the snow level around Darrington was about 1,000 feet, nearly 500 feet above the town. Some snow had fallen, he said, but nothing was sticking to the ground. The weather Tuesday afternoon was a cold rain. He noted fire crews had been out to help clear a fallen tree on Highway 530. Fire crews were expecting stormy winds to continue.

In conjunction with the Snohomish County Public Utility District, the fire district urged homeowners to stock up on fuel. Johnson reminded generator users to never run them inside, because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

A closer look at what avalanche control looks like. Crews clear the area of personnel and traffic and detonate a targeted blast. Avalanche crews keep 24/7 watch on avalanche and weather conditions. @wspd6pio pic.twitter.com/7YkxREvIsG

— Snoqualmie Pass (@SnoqualmiePass) January 9, 2024

The National Weather Service predicted snowfall accumulations overnight of 1 to 2 feet in the Cascades.

“Travel should be restricted to emergencies only,” the weather service stated. “If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle.”

Jordan Hansen: 425-339-3046; jordan.hansen@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jordyhansen.