The closure points will be milepost 134/Ross Dam Trailhead on the west side and milepost 171/Silver Star Gate on the east.
Up to ten more inches of snow is forecasted for Tuesday night, followed by a warm, wet Thursday and Friday, increasing the risk of avalanches across Rainy and Washington passes. Unlike US 2 Stevens Pass and I-90 Snoqualmie Pass, the North Cascades does not have facilities to perform avalanche control work to alleviate the condition. For the safety of the traveling public and winter maintenance crews, the pass must be closed.
The road will remain open and maintained until 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Travelers should still prepare for winter driving conditions as there will be active winter weather throughout the state this week.
WSDOT closes the North Cascades Highway when weather, snow conditions and avalanche danger threaten the safety of drivers and our maintenance crews. Avalanches typically close the highway between late November and mid-December.
Reopening in the spring is usually accomplished by early May.