SNOQULAMIE PASS - Skiers and snowboarders flocked to Snoqualmie Summit Saturday to take advantage of a late season snowstorm, even as road conditions continued to worsen.
"We were going to stay down, and then we heard about it, so we were like, okay, let's travel up," said Steve Thornton, who made a last minute decision to drive up from Tacoma.
"This is late [in the year] to have this much snow," said skier Tony Gurule.
"It's like extra extra powdery and soft, and it's kind of hard to see the terrain though," said snowboarder Ran Tao.
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For some, the snowfall was less play, more work. About 19 plows and 5 avalanche crews are spending the weekend patrolling the pass for, said Washington State DOT.
"We're looking forward to a break here," said avalanche forecaster John Stimberis. "Maybe we'll see that in another week."
The National Weather service has issued a winter storm and avalanche warning for the area through Sunday morning, cautioning drivers are still cautioned to be prepared for hazardous conditions, travel restrictions, and possible road delays.
DOT workers say they're expecting less snow than they originally anticipated, but still expect almost a foot to fall overnight. They urge drivers to be careful.
Crews have responded to at least two rollover accidents and an unhinged trailer along the I-90 corridor, but as of Saturday night, no major injuries have been reported, said Washington State Department of Transportation.
Heavy snow fell Saturday night in the Cascades, and roads in the Palouse were treacherous Sunday morning because of snow, ice and wind. A 10-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 195 south of Pullman was closed for three hours because of jackknifed trucks and cars sliding off the road.
Late Saturday night and Sunday morning, some residents saw accumulations of wet snow, while others had mixed snow and rain showers.
Sunday was expected to turn from winter into spring weather, with partly sunny skies in the afternoon and highs around 50.
Remove studded tires by Wednesday
Despite the wintery weather, Washington state officials are sticking to a Wednesday deadline for removing studded tires. Violators face a $124 fine.
State Patrol Chief John R. Batiste says the sound of studs grinding on pavement makes it easy to enforce the ban. Batiste calls it " the sound of damage being done to our roads."
