It may look like a winter wonderland in the mountains this week, but snow pileups brought slow downs to Snoqualmie Pass.
For some drivers, the most difficult part of their post-holiday travel was in the parking lots. KIRO 7 witnesses some cars needing to be shoveled out from feet of snow.
For other drivers, the difficulty began on the interstate.
Clint described hydroplaning while making his journey west. “I shifted to the left, probably 4 or 5 inches. Lost control for just a split second.”
Snow and rain continued throughout Thursday evening.
“We see these things escalating very quickly,” says Scott Klepach, with WSDOT. He tells KIRO 7 there were multiple spinouts near the pass.
“It takes sometimes it’s semi-trucks not putting on chains. Sometimes it’s just other vehicles that aren’t doing following those rules, or they’re just, you know, kind of zooming around someone else and then causing spin outs collisions,” says Klepach.
A portion of eastbound I-90 near Snoqualmie Pass was closed two times on Thursday due to accidents.
WSDOT took to social media to share their frustration over the closures, writing, ‘It’s not the weather, it’s not the plowing, it’s poor decision making.’
Klepach is urging caution for impatient or inexperienced drivers. He advises that drivers always check weather conditions before they hit the road.
“One person can ruin it for a whole lot of people,” says driver, David.