Major mountain passes closed, two may remain so into Friday

Snoqualmie Pass is due to reopen at 8 p.m. after snow and avalanche danger had earlier shut down all three major passes over the Cascades.

Stevens and White Pass were likely to remain closed over night.

State Department of Transportation spokesman Lloyd Brown said crews had thought earlier in the evening that heavy snow would keep Snoqualmie closed overnight. But then they caught a break in the weather and were able to bring down snow in avalanche chutes in a controlled manner. The cleanup of that snow was expected to be completed by 8 p.m.

State Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond says once the overnight storm has passed, officials can assess the situation in daylight and determine whether the other two passes can open sometime Friday.

That storm could also bring snow and possibly high winds to large areas of winter-weary Eastern Washington from Yakima to Spokane.

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White Pass remains closed from milepost 164 to milepost 166 as crews clear a slide that occurred there.

Highway 2 over Stevens Pass is closed from Leavenworth at milepost 100 to Scenic at milepost 58.