WSDOT

Whiteout conditions and high avalanche danger closed a 72-mile section of Interstate 90 around Snoqualmie Pass, Wash. on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008.

SEATTLE, Wash. – Heavy snow and a high avalanche danger forced the indefinite closure of Interstate 90 at Snoqualmie Pass this morning, leaving drivers stranded at North Bend to the west and Ellensburg to the east.

Images from Washington State Department of Transportation cameras show semi trucks parked along the side of the highway.  The road itself looks more like a giant snowdrift than Washington's main east-west highway.

WSDOT says a natural avalanche came down at 7:25 a.m. and blocked the eastbound lanes at East Snow Shed, six miles east of the pass.  Some vehicles drove into the snow bank and got stuck, but have since been cleared.  Nobody was hurt.

A 72-mile stretch was closed between North Bend and Ellensburg about an hour later.

Transportation crews are conducting avalanche control, but they have their work cut out of them,  As of 10:30 a.m. today, about nine inches had fallen in a 24 hour period   Another 15-20 inches is expected to fall by the same time tomorrow.

At Stevens and White passes, traction tires are required, except for vehicles over 10,000 pounds which are required to have chains.