“And so it begins.” – WSDOT

The Chinook and Cayuse passes have closed early for the year.

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, the ways through Mount Rainier National Park temporarily closed the afternoon of Oct. 31 after a forecast of 20 inches of snow could get dumped on the mountain over the following 24 hours.

WSDOT re-evaluated the closure on Nov. 4 and determined it should remain closed for the rest of the year.

The annual pass closures fluctuate between late October and mid November, with an occasional December date.

If you count the temporary closure as the start of this year’s annual closure, it’s the second-earliest in the last decade, and tied with fourth since 1935. (Shift those numbers down one place if you count an temporary Oct. 19-25 closure in 2019, with the annual closure starting Nov. 21)

The passes are usually opened between mid May and early June the following year.

Chinook Pass, at an elevation of 5,430 feet, is closed between Crystal Mountain Boulevard, about 12 miles northwest of the summit, and Morse Creek, five miles east of the summit.

Cayuse Pass, at 4,675 feet, is closed within Mount Rainier National Park between Crystal Mountain Boulevard and the park arch at SR 410/123 milepost 2.5 at the southern park boundary.