One of the harbingers of spring showed up today - this announcement from the WA State Department of Transportation:
Spring clearing of SR 20 North Cascades Highway starts April 5
A telltale sign of spring in the Pacific Northwest is the clearing of State Route 20 North Cascades Highway between the Methow and Skagit valleys, and this year’s reopening work is scheduled to start April 5.
Depending on weather conditions, reopening usually takes about 4 to 6 weeks.
More snow than usual
The pass closes every year in late November or early December based on snow conditions. Dozens of avalanche paths cross the highway, making it too dangerous to keep the highway open through the winter. In 2020, the North Cascades closed on Nov. 13. Our maintenance and avalanche control crews assess snow levels and avalanche conditions in early spring to determine a date to begin reopening work.
This year’s snow levels were slightly higher than average and the Liberty Bell avalanche chutes still hold a substantial amount of snow. This presents a potential safety hazard for reopening crews, so allowing for additional melt off makes more manageable and safer conditions for workers.
Snow level higher than average? Sounds like global warming to me...
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