Sunday, December 21, 2008

Snow Snow Snow!

As you all know, it's been snowing all over the Northwest for a solid week or two now. Up until Friday, mountain passes had remained open and I'm sure crews have been working overtime to keep them safe. But last night, the snow and 50+ mph winds started to overwhelm the crews and roads began to close. I-84 is currently closed from Troutdale to Hood River with no available detours. Earlier this morning I-84 was also closed around La Grande. I'm not sure if it is still closed but ODOT is reporting that there are secondary roads around La Grande that they are labeling "passable, but not maintained to a high level." Needless to say, Nana and Pappy will have a difficult time again this year. As of last night, Snoqualmie Pass was closed in both directions from North Bend all the way to Ellensburg. It reopened just a couple hours ago but they are expecting several feet of additional snow over the next few days. Stevens Pass remains open but it isn't nearly as maintained as Snoqualmie usually is. However, it may literally be our only way to make the trip for Christmas.

I'm sure we'll all be keeping a close eye on weather and road conditions over the next few days and lets pray for a miracle and some warm weather! If nothing else, safe travels for everyone. We'll keep you posted on our plans if anything changes. Right now, we're planning on making the trip on Wednesday morning. Snoqualmie is our first choice if it is open, otherwise we'll try Stevens. Hope to see you all soon!!

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