I-90 Closed for Epic Snowfall!

This guy got busted for driving into a closed area of the pass and he ran into one of the triggered avalanches.

Doh!

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The head of WSDOT avy control in the Pass gave an excellent presentation at NSAS this fall (sorry I'm blanking his name right now) of their control work. From what I remember, the real difficulty is moving all the snow once they trigger a slide. Given the water content and thus the weight of the snow, it seems to me that the resources (i.e. time, labor, machinery) it takes to move a pile of WA snow are significantly more than a pile a of CO snow...

Seems to me that several of you are making excuses for the WSDOT.

I'm also hearing that several of you think that Snoqualmie Pass has unique characteristics that other mountian passes don't have, like"big and rugged mountians" and "wet heavy snow", or "linear mileage". I don't think the characteristics of Snoqualmie Pass are that unique to warrant a closure like this one.

All I'm trying to say is that other areas are able to keep their mountian passes open during heavy snowfall. And how long did it take them to re-open the pass? Something like 20 hours?

If we know it takes more time, labor and machinery to clear the roads of this Heavy Cascade Concrete, why don't we have more of those resources? Why do we just make excuses for the DOT?

Again, ask Eyman. I saw him hucking the lift tower snow wake at Soqualmie West a few weeks ago. He should be easy to spot. I'm sure he skis in jeans.

I'd like to make it clear that my frustration is not aimed at all the folks who are working their butts off, in garbage weather, to get the Pass open. I think there is a bigger, governmental policy problem here. If the snow is heavy, if the terrain is difficult, if avalanche chutes line the road, great, but resources should be allocated to make clearing it possible. If this storm had dumped say, 45 inches or something, it would be reasonable to close the Pass for 28 hrs, but that isn't the case.

Wow, Danengel, you are a tough nut.  Though I always seem to get bit whenever I get involved with threads like this, I will just say that I do not consider the points made to be excuses.  8000+ semi trucks cross the pass each day.  With that much commerce at stake did you ever think that maybe the dollar would not trump all other concerns?  If the state is willing to take the heat for all that revenue lost to the economy I believe they must have one heck of a good reason to keep it closed.  Perhaps to make sure no lives are lost to a hasty decision to open the road.  Just something to consider.  Believe it or not, this topography and this snow is not Colorado.  OK, all, now let me have it...
John