What a difference a month makes!
information released by WSDOT
Hello fellow North Cascades enthusiasts: It was just a month ago that the SR 20 eastside crew began the 2023 spring clearing from Early Winters campground. Yesterday, the crew finished the work week at Swamp Creek near milepost 154. From the west side the road remains cleared to milepost 148. The closure points remain at milepost 134 on the west side and milepost 178 on the east side.
When will North Cascades Highway open?
There’s about six miles of roadway yet to clear. There’s also plenty of snow still in the loading zones of the avalanche paths and a round of avalanche control is scheduled for next week. Warm weather is melting the snow and helping the cause, but it also creates high avalanche danger conditions that limit the time crews can work in certain areas. It’s tough to say when exactly the road will be open. There are always some finishing touches to the reopening work that may or may not go smoothly, so pinning the exact date down is a tricky call. If weather and equipment cooperate, the North Cross will be open by Mother’s Day.
When can I bike?
Many follow the North Cascades news, waiting for these spring weekends to bike behind the closure points and it is possible this is one of the last weekends the road will be closed, so this might be the last chance to do so. It’s important to mention that even though spring avalanche forecasts have wrapped up, on Wednesday the Northwest Avalanche Center issued a special avalanche bulletin for the Washington Cascades. If you do plan to recreate behind the closure points, you should be prepared and remember that there is limited cell service in the mountain passes- and have fun!
When an opening date is confirmed, I’ll be sure to update you all. You can also look for updates on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and I will keep sharing pictures on Flickr as they come in from the crews.
Take care and safe travels-
Lauren Loebsack, Communications
North Central Region-Wenatchee
