Cascades Washington, December driving conditions, car rental
November 18, 2021 4:43 PM Subscribe
Hi hive,
Plan to visit the Cascades in Washington State, specifically Leavenworth in late December, renting a car out of Seattle.
Can anyone let me know if the roads are clear generally around that time of year.
Bonus points if anyone can recommend a car rental place in Seattle.
Ho ho ho - Johnny
Can anyone let me know if the roads are clear generally around that time of year.
Bonus points if anyone can recommend a car rental place in Seattle.
Ho ho ho - Johnny
(Stevens Pass is an alternate route but I'm unsure if it'll be open if either of the others are closed.)
posted by supercres at 5:27 PM on November 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by supercres at 5:27 PM on November 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
This is entirely weather dependent, so you can't really know more than a few days in advance. Both I90 and highway 2 are generally open, but will close in storms for hazard or avalanche control. I like to use the NWS point forecast to plan around mountain weather:
Snoqualmie pass point forecast
posted by counterfeitfake at 5:58 PM on November 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
Snoqualmie pass point forecast
posted by counterfeitfake at 5:58 PM on November 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
Snoqualmie pass and stevens pass are the two major routes to Leavenworth, and are regularly plowed in the winter, but when conditions are crazy they will close the pass until it’s safe to travel again. Often chains or traction tires will be required to travel the pass (or a car possessing All Wheel Drive). Try to rent something with all or 4 wheel drive, check out the WSDOT websites listed above before you depart, try to avoid peak travel times. Leavenworth is lovely in the winter!
posted by WedgedPiano at 6:49 PM on November 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by WedgedPiano at 6:49 PM on November 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
Good advice above, and be cautioned that if the weather is bad, WSDOT is also experiencing staffing issues and is predicting longer than usual delays and closures over the passes as a result.
posted by stellaluna at 7:00 PM on November 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by stellaluna at 7:00 PM on November 18, 2021 [2 favorites]
To give a for-instance: i90 is closed eastbound over Snoqualmie Pass (the mountains) tonight. It will open again probably overnight. But this sort of thing happens and with limited notice.
Your trip would probably be fine, but I'd personally be watching the forecasts, and maybe even the local weather Twitter folks like a hawk until you're back on this side of the mountains
posted by wotsac at 7:42 PM on November 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
Your trip would probably be fine, but I'd personally be watching the forecasts, and maybe even the local weather Twitter folks like a hawk until you're back on this side of the mountains
posted by wotsac at 7:42 PM on November 18, 2021 [1 favorite]
Both directions now. November IIRC has the most precipitation but December is colder.
Multi-day closures, from following the Twitter accounts, seem to be rare, but multi-hour do happen.
If you’re ok at snow driving, have AWD and/or chains, and aren’t in a hurry (i.e. are ok delaying travel) you’ll probably be fine. The Cascades really are great.
posted by supercres at 8:07 PM on November 18, 2021
Multi-day closures, from following the Twitter accounts, seem to be rare, but multi-hour do happen.
If you’re ok at snow driving, have AWD and/or chains, and aren’t in a hurry (i.e. are ok delaying travel) you’ll probably be fine. The Cascades really are great.
posted by supercres at 8:07 PM on November 18, 2021
Best answer: If you absolutely positively have to get to Leavenworth from Seattle and don't mind it taking twice as long (4+ hours), then here is the safest way to do it:
Take I-90 out of Seattle through Snoqualmie pass. Out of all the passes, Snoqualmie gets the most attention from snowplows, and is at least four lanes wide in both directions through the entire pass.
Take I-90 all the way through the Cascades, past Ellensburg, cross the Columbia river at Vantage. Get off I-90 at George, then take 281 until it turns into 28, drive through Wenatchee and then on to Leavenworth.
This route is flat after Snoqualmie. Flat is good this time of year. You will have a mild downhill into Wenatchee and then climb up a little bit coming out of Wenatchee through Cashmere into Leavenworth.
I'm a local from Central Washington, and this is the route I would drive if I had to make this trip.
In good weather, it's two hours from Seattle to Ellensburg, and just over two more hours from Ellensburg to Leavenworth on the route I suggest. I've driven Blewitt and Stevens in the winter, and I don't recommend it. I don't even drive Blewett in the summer-- it's two lanes, rapid elevation change, I don't like it.
Also, fun fact-- every single member of the DOT crew for Stevens Pass quit recently (vaccine mandate refusers) and I don't know if they've actually been able to hire any replacements. Even if they do, I wouldn't be confident that Stevens Pass snowplows are going to operate at normal efficiency this year with a reduced/nonexistent/all-new crew.
Just check the DOT webcams linked above, and decide what you want to do on that day you are actually there in Seattle. Snoqualmie will always be your safest bet over Stevens into Leavenworth, but the roads may be clear, and it's not a difficult drive if there is no snow. I still don't like Stevens for the elevation changes and the fact that it is two lanes for a lot of its run.
If you do go through Snoqualmie pass, which always has more lanes, more plows, and better emergency services, then your decision point will be around Cle Elum where you need to decide if you will go through Blewett pass or down into Ellensburg and on through the flat I-90 route I wrote about earlier. Blewett has the same disadvantages that Stevens has. But both are scenic passes with great views, and you may wish to drive them for the scenery alone, and if there is no snow and you are comfortable the idea of saving two hours over my safer route suggestion may be a risk you are willing to manage.
I live in Ellensburg, and if I have to travel to Wenatchee/Cashmere/Leavenworth I won't drive through Blewett-- I'll take the seemingly longer route through George, and it is actually only about 10-15 minutes longer, and much safer. Also, any time savings in Blewett can be absolutely lost if you get stuck behind a semi on the two lane road. It's a false economy as far as I'm concerned. (In college I had a professor commuting over Blewett and his continuous excuse for arriving late to class was that he got stuck behind a semi-- it got to be pretty funny after a while.) OK, I hope that helps you decide, good luck!
posted by seasparrow at 11:15 AM on November 19, 2021 [10 favorites]
Take I-90 out of Seattle through Snoqualmie pass. Out of all the passes, Snoqualmie gets the most attention from snowplows, and is at least four lanes wide in both directions through the entire pass.
Take I-90 all the way through the Cascades, past Ellensburg, cross the Columbia river at Vantage. Get off I-90 at George, then take 281 until it turns into 28, drive through Wenatchee and then on to Leavenworth.
This route is flat after Snoqualmie. Flat is good this time of year. You will have a mild downhill into Wenatchee and then climb up a little bit coming out of Wenatchee through Cashmere into Leavenworth.
I'm a local from Central Washington, and this is the route I would drive if I had to make this trip.
In good weather, it's two hours from Seattle to Ellensburg, and just over two more hours from Ellensburg to Leavenworth on the route I suggest. I've driven Blewitt and Stevens in the winter, and I don't recommend it. I don't even drive Blewett in the summer-- it's two lanes, rapid elevation change, I don't like it.
Also, fun fact-- every single member of the DOT crew for Stevens Pass quit recently (vaccine mandate refusers) and I don't know if they've actually been able to hire any replacements. Even if they do, I wouldn't be confident that Stevens Pass snowplows are going to operate at normal efficiency this year with a reduced/nonexistent/all-new crew.
Just check the DOT webcams linked above, and decide what you want to do on that day you are actually there in Seattle. Snoqualmie will always be your safest bet over Stevens into Leavenworth, but the roads may be clear, and it's not a difficult drive if there is no snow. I still don't like Stevens for the elevation changes and the fact that it is two lanes for a lot of its run.
If you do go through Snoqualmie pass, which always has more lanes, more plows, and better emergency services, then your decision point will be around Cle Elum where you need to decide if you will go through Blewett pass or down into Ellensburg and on through the flat I-90 route I wrote about earlier. Blewett has the same disadvantages that Stevens has. But both are scenic passes with great views, and you may wish to drive them for the scenery alone, and if there is no snow and you are comfortable the idea of saving two hours over my safer route suggestion may be a risk you are willing to manage.
I live in Ellensburg, and if I have to travel to Wenatchee/Cashmere/Leavenworth I won't drive through Blewett-- I'll take the seemingly longer route through George, and it is actually only about 10-15 minutes longer, and much safer. Also, any time savings in Blewett can be absolutely lost if you get stuck behind a semi on the two lane road. It's a false economy as far as I'm concerned. (In college I had a professor commuting over Blewett and his continuous excuse for arriving late to class was that he got stuck behind a semi-- it got to be pretty funny after a while.) OK, I hope that helps you decide, good luck!
posted by seasparrow at 11:15 AM on November 19, 2021 [10 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you for your generosity everybody.
posted by lapsang at 4:56 PM on November 19, 2021
posted by lapsang at 4:56 PM on November 19, 2021
Response by poster: just in the door.
we loved it.
thank you.
verdict: we stayed 30 mins outside leavenworth in a lodge. We mostly avoided leavenworth because of covid + crowds. roads were passable although Rt 2 by Stevens Pass is very challenging this year with the extraordinary cold.
posted by lapsang at 10:56 AM on December 28, 2021 [2 favorites]
we loved it.
thank you.
verdict: we stayed 30 mins outside leavenworth in a lodge. We mostly avoided leavenworth because of covid + crowds. roads were passable although Rt 2 by Stevens Pass is very challenging this year with the extraordinary cold.
posted by lapsang at 10:56 AM on December 28, 2021 [2 favorites]
Glad to hear you made it. I've been thinking about you all week.
posted by wotsac at 11:23 AM on December 30, 2021
posted by wotsac at 11:23 AM on December 30, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by supercres at 5:24 PM on November 18, 2021 [8 favorites]