Snowy weather in the travel forecast

MOSES LAKE — It may be Dec. 27, but there are still a few days of holiday left, and a few days of holiday travel back and forth over the mountains. Drivers should check the weather and road conditions before they leave, since it’s still going to be raining and snowing out there all weekend. 

Laurie Nisbet, meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Spokane, said rain is forecast for the valleys, and periods of snow in the mountains. Traveling can get dicey in those conditions – Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass was closed at times on Wednesday and Thursday due to accidents and slick driving conditions. 

As of Thursday morning, half of Snoqualmie Pass was closed three times in less than 24 hours due to spinouts that blocked the eastbound lanes, according to a post on Washington Department of Transportation social media.  

“This is why ‘chains required’ means chains are required,” the WSDOT post said. 

“Winter, for sure,” Nisbet said. 

And that’s going to continue throughout the weekend, she said. Four to five inches of snow is forecast for Snoqualmie Pass today, and five to seven inches for Stevens Pass. Two to three inches is forecast for Blewett Pass today. 

It’s going to keep snowing over Stevens Pass Saturday, although rising snow levels probably will result in a mix of rain and snow over Snoqualmie Pass, she said. But by Sunday it’s back to snow over the most heavily traveled passes.  

In the Columbia Basin, rain is forecast for Friday night. Saturday should be at least partly sunny, but rain is forecast to return to the Basin Saturday night and Sunday.  

But just when it seems like Noah is going to show up looking for his Ark, there could be at least a short break in the Basin. Monday should be mostly sunny, Nisbet said. 

Clouds – and rain – are forecast to return just in time for New Year’s Eve and stick around through New Year’s Day. 

“It looks like it stays wet,” Nesbit said. As of Thursday, the extended forecast has rain lasting in the Columbia Basin through Jan. 2. 

Temperatures could start dropping about Thursday, so some of that rain could turn to snow, she said. 

For people traveling into snow zones, WSDOT recommends checking conditions before leaving. The Department of Transportation uses what it calls the “real time travel map,” frequently updated with current road conditions, closures and possible delays. 

There’s also a map on the DOT website devoted to mountain passes that allows drivers to look them up by name. Most have cameras at selected spots along the route that drivers can use to check conditions. As the major east-west route, there’s a little more information about Snoqualmie, including estimated travel times.  

Department of Transportation social media also has information; Snoqualmie Pass has its own X (Twitter) account. Text updates are available for Snoqualmie as well.