People frustrated with constant power outages at Snoqualmie Pass

SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. — Homes and businesses in the Snoqualmie Pass area were plunged into darkness Sunday after another power outage.

The blackout lasted more than 20 hours. Puget Sound Energy restored power on Monday afternoon.

Many people said they are frustrated with the constant power outages.

The power went out around 1:30 p.m. Over the busy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, thousands of skiers and snowboarders would be hitting the slopes, but with less than a third of the lifts able to run, The Summit at Snoqualmie saw around 5,000 people less than usual.

“This is typically one of our busiest weekends of the entire season so a power outage has a massive consequence for not just us, but also for our guests who are here expecting to fulfill a really nice day on the slopes and have a good time,” said The Summit at Snoqualmie’s general manager, Guy Lawrence.

Only five of the 19 ski lifts at The Summit were running earlier Monday, and skiers noticed the longer lines. They were also aware that it was not the first time things have been closed because of power issues.

“I feel like it’s a bit strange just because it’s happened more than usual. Like, there’s of course been power outages before, but not so many in one season that I can remember,” said skier Victor Wu.

KIRO 7 reached out to Puget Sound Energy, which sent a statement:

“Crews are currently assessing damage and working toward restoring power in the Snoqualmie Pass area due to downed trees on power lines. Heavy snow on top of saturated ground and challenging terrain continue to impact the area, resulting in access challenges and safety concerns.”

PSE officials said crews have had to hike on foot and use snowcats to access areas unreachable by trucks, which made it take longer to fix the problem.

Lawrence said the ski resort has had to shut down early or close around a dozen times this season. He is hoping that PSE can find a long-term solution.

“There has been an unprecedented amount of power outages, to be honest, and it’s concerning. Because it means we have an inconsistent operation,” he said.

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