Heavy snowfall caused major backups and crashes on I-90 near Snoqualmie Pass as the area sees its first Blizzard Warning in 11 years.
KIRO 7 News drove to Summit at Snoqualmie on Monday to assess the current conditions.
We saw many semi-trucks pulled over on Eastbound I-90 as drivers were putting chains on their tires.
Snow is coming down on westbound I-90 where heavy snow is expected to come down in the Cascades. Strong winds and a blizzard warning are expected soon. The Blizzard Warning hasn’t been issued by NWS Seattle in more than a decade. pic.twitter.com/k42ezsQRiS
— Louie Tran (@louie_tran) January 8, 2024
“It’s necessary you have to do it,” driver Elizabeth McGowan said as she was driving her daughter back to school in Spokane. “Be really careful. If you have a truck and you have all wheel drive, don’t be stupid. Don’t drive faster. Be careful.”
Caleb Strovas, who was driving to eastern Washington, said, “It’s a little crazy.”
“It was a clear indication for me to pull over and put chains on myself,” Strovas said when he saw drivers had pulled off to the side of I-90.
At least two semi-trucks were stuck in the middle of the road in the eastbound lanes causing traffic.
In the past few hours, I’ve seen semis stuck in the middle of the road on WB I-90. This was the road condition around 1 pm. @wsdot officials say over a dozen crews are working to plow the roads. Conditions on I-90 have gotten worse as the snow continues to fall. @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/EGGHTNRvDc
— Louie Tran (@louie_tran) January 9, 2024
The snowfall began to fall harder later in the afternoon.
“We haven’t seen anything like this for a while for some years,” Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) spokesperson Scott Klepach said. “If you don’t have to travel, please wait.”
Klepach said officials have seen several cars slide off the slick roads before the heavy snowfall came.
He expects conditions will get worse.
“We are seeing a lot snow coming in today, tonight, and all the way to tomorrow, through Wednesday. As well as those 50 to 60 mile per hour winds, which creates all sorts of havoc,” he added.
As of Monday afternoon, more than a dozen WSDOT crews plowed the roads after they had prepped for the winter season in early fall.
“Roads can be very dangerous and can change in a heartbeat,” Klepach said.
“If you can’t (stay home), then we advise people to slow down, pay attention, have great tires, a full tank of gas. Make sure you have chains and know how to use them and actually do apply them,” he added.
KIRO 7 News also spoke with Washington State Patrol to understand what troopers are seeing on the slick roads.
“It’s snowing hard right now. We’re seeing a lot of vehicles, a few serious injuries, but mostly vehicles went off the roadway.” Trooper Jeremy Weber added, “People are driving too fast for the conditions on the roadway.”
Weber said a portion of Eastbound I-90 was temporarily shutdown – twice — due to crashes.
“It’s scary for us even. If it’s scary for us to be driving out here it should be scary for everybody else. Don’t overestimate how dangerous it is out here,” he said.
Westbound I-90 also saw a major backup for nearly a mile around 7 p.m.
There’s a major backup on WB I-90 in Snoqualmie Pass after the area saw heavy snowfall. Conditions are expected to get worse as a Blizzard Warning is in effect — the 1st time in the area in 11 years. The rain is slightly coming down, which could freeze overnight. @KIRO7Seattle pic.twitter.com/bPEOq1bow4
— Louie Tran (@louie_tran) January 9, 2024
Chains are required for drivers traveling through Snoqualmie Pass.
If you don’t have them, you could face a steep fine.
“We have been stopping numerous trucks who weren’t chained up properly or not chained up at all. Each one of those violations is $500,” Weber said.
If you can’t stay home and you have to be on the roads, authorities are encouraging you to pack the following items inside your vehicle to keep you and your loved ones safe:
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