Washington's North Cascades Highway to close on Nov. 15 for winter season

Washington's scenic state Route 20 — also known as North Cascades Highway — will close for the winter season on Nov. 15, according to a news release from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Wednesday.

The popular highway closes every winter due to avalanche danger. This year's closing date could potentially be sooner depending on if a large weather event with snow and ice hits before then. The seasonal closure stretches from milepost 134/Ross Dam Trailhead on the west side and milepost 171/Silver Star Gate on the east.

The highway connects two of the state's premier recreation sites, the Skagit Valley and the mountain-flanked Methow Valley. It is also part of the Cascade Loop, a 400-mile driving tour through the namesake mountain range. Officials said those looking to take a last-minute trip on the highway before the closure should check conditions before heading out.

"There's still time to enjoy this amazing road trip, but be sure to prep for winter conditions in the meantime," wrote WSDOT in a tweet Wednesday.

Hikers, skiers and snowmobilers can access closed portions of the highway in the winter, but must park in designated areas. SR-20 can reopen any time from late April to early June, depending on the volume of the winter snowpack and whether any of it can still come down in the avalanche chutes.

The highway was closed for a large portion of the summer due to wildfires burning near Mazama. It reopened in August with new reduced speed limits as fire crews remained in the area.

There is still no closure date set for the Chinook and Cayuse passes according to WSDOT, although both have already seen snow this season.