With a significant snow and rain forecast, the Washington State Transportation Department has decided to temporarily close State Route 20 North Cascades Highway at 5 p.m. tomorrow.
The closure will be between Ross Dam Trailhead (milepost 134) on the west side and Silver Star gate (milepost 171) on the east side.
Drier weather is in the forecast beginning next week, and maintenance and avalanche crews will reassess conditions on Monday, Nov. 17 with the potential to clear and reopen that section of the highway. There is no estimated time to reopen. Reopening the route is not certain and is based on multiple factors, including snowpack levels in avalanche pathways and winter maintenance needs throughout the region.
The earliest closure date was Oct. 17 in 2003, and the route was closed for the season on Nov. 18 in 2024. Road closure updates are posted on the real-time travel map and the mountain pass page. More information about how crews evaluate for the seasonal closure of SR 20 North Cascades is available on the WSDOT blog.