Early Snowfall Forces Seasonal Closure of Mountain Passes Near Mount Rainier

Winter is around the corner, and we are starting to get our first Washington State mountain pass closures for the season.

WSDOT Closes Chinook and Cayuse Passes Ahead of Schedule Due to Early Snow

In a posting on the WSDOT website, the Washington State Department of Transportation has announced that both Chinook Pass (SR 410) and Cayuse Pass (SR 123) will close for the winter season at 10 a.m. on Friday, October 24.

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Each year, these mountain routes shut down once snow and ice make travel too risky, but this year’s closure is coming a bit earlier than usual, due to some early-season snowfall.

Early Snowfall Forces Seasonal Closure of Mountain Passes Near Mount Rainier

Chinook Pass, sitting at 5,430 feet, and Cayuse Pass, at 4,675 feet, will close between Crystal Mountain Boulevard (about 12 miles northwest of the summit near Mount Rainier National Park’s boundary) and Morse Creek, roughly five miles east of the summit. To the south, State Route 123 will also close up to Stevens Canyon Road.

WSDOT says the move is all about keeping travelers and maintenance crews safe as conditions deteriorate.

Once the snow piles up, these high-altitude routes become prone to avalanches, icy roads, and limited access to emergency services.

The good news? When spring returns and the snow melts, WSDOT crews will be back out clearing the roads.

You can read more about the early closure of the passes here.

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