By following these steps, drivers can be celebrating with family and friends, instead of sitting on a freeway:

• Check the Washington State Department of Transportation’s best times to travel tips. Three-day Christmas weekends are rare, but WSDOT analysts have used their best historical data to predict travel times.
• Get informed about WSDOT’s online tools, including mobile apps, traffic cameras and email alerts.
• Visit online traveler information for traffic, weather and ferry schedules.
• Follow WSDOT’s social media accounts, such as Twitter and Facebook.
• Pre-program your vehicle radio to 530 AM and 1610 AM for highway advisory radio alerts.
• Carry chains and other winter driving essentials. Check current chain and traction requirements on the WSDOT passes website, highway advisory signs or by calling 5-1-1.
• Leave extra time for holiday and winter travel, drive safe and keep warm.

In the mountains, the North Cascades Highway (State Route 20) and Chinook (State Route 410) and Cayuse (junction of State Routes 123 and 410) passes have closed for the winter. On Snoqualmie Pass (elevation 3,022) plan for possible longer avalanche control delays this winter as work to widen Interstate 90 continues. Check the most current Washington pass conditions before heading out.