Cayuse pass opening this Friday, but Chinook pass will take more time

Chinook is usually clear by Memorial Day, but recent years show several June openings.

By Alex Bruell • May 23, 2022 1:30 am
WSDOT shared this image of a snow blower fighting huge walls of snow on SR 410 Chinook Pass, which crews estimated on May 19 would remain closed for a few more weeks.
WSDOT shared this image of a snow blower fighting huge walls of snow on SR 410 Chinook Pass, which crews estimated on May 19 would remain closed for a few more weeks.

Cayuse pass will be open by Friday, May 27, but Chinook pass will take another few weeks to clear this year.

That’s the latest from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), which cautioned on May 19 that “relentless” snowfall and avalanche danger will keep Chinook pass closed a little while longer.

WSDOT shared this map of Chinook and Cayuse passes to demonstrate what travel closures will look like for a couple of weeks starting this Friday.

WSDOT shared this map of Chinook and Cayuse passes to demonstrate what travel closures will look like for a couple of weeks starting this Friday.

Cayuse pass connects SR 410 and SR 123, allowing travel between Enumclaw and Packwood. WSDOT says the pass will be open by 8 a.m. this Friday.

The nearby Chinook pass, meanwhile, allows travel between Enumclaw and Naches, opening up SR 410 for direct travel between the west and east sides of the state. WSDOT said on the 19th that they hoped to have it open “in the next several weeks.”

Historically, WSDOT aims to open the passes by Memorial Day each year. That’s always dependent on weather, though, and this has been a particularly cold and wet spring. (The passes typically close each November.)

Chinook pass opened May 28 last year, June 4 the year before, May 23 in 2019, and June 11 in 2018.