Weather could get messy over mountains this weekend

MOSES LAKE — Holiday travel is tricky. Holiday travel over a three-day Christmas holiday weekend is even more tricky. Traversing a snow and ice covered central Washington mountain pass over a busy three-day Christmas holiday weekend is about as tricky as it gets and could present a big hurdle for Columbia Basin residents who plan to head over to the west side this weekend.

The inclement weather has already been slamming several mountain passes of late, which typically means good news for outdoor sports enthusiasts and bad news for travelers. Snoqualmie Pass is notorious for closures due to ice on the road, collisions and spinouts. According to the National Weather Service, snow is likely on Snoqualmie Pass before 5 p.m. today with new snow accumulation of 1-2 inches. The problem is that more snow is a possibility tonight, Sunday and on Christmas Day, with temperatures not predicted to break 30 degrees any time soon.

There is a text message service available for Snoqualmie Pass travelers that will send people text message alerts for pass delays 30 minutes or longer. To subscribe to the service text “wsdot snoqualmie” to 468311 and “wsdot stop” to unsubscribe from the service.

Travelers hoping to bypass the possible headache on Snoqualmie Pass by taking Stevens Pass may run into similar issues when it comes to inclement weather. Snow is a possibility on Stevens Pass today, Sunday and Christmas day, with temperatures not expected to break 25 degrees over the three-day weekend.

In snowy and icy conditions, especially over what is projected to be a heavy traffic weekend, safety and being prepared is of utmost importance.

“Anyone traveling over the passes for the holidays needs to be aware of changing conditions and drive for those conditions,” Trooper Brian Moore told the Columbia Basin Herald. “Get good snow tires, properly fitted chains (and) know how to put them on.”

For more winter driving tips and pointers visit www.wsdot.com/winter.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.