Video: Avalanche danger closes Snoqualmie Pass

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HYAK, Wash. - The Washington State Department of Transportation reopened westbound Interstate 90 at Snoqualmie Pass at 8:15 p.m. Monday.

The eastbound lanes were reopened Monday at about 3 p.m.

The DOT says traction tires are advised and oversized vehicles prohibited. It reports motorists will encounter narrow travel lanes.

Hundreds of cars and trucks were stranded on Interstate 90 after heavy snow and the threat of avalanches in the Cascades forced transportation officials to close Snoqualmie Pass Sunday night.

Extreme avalanche risk prompted Department of Transportation officials to close the pass around 11 p.m. Sunday.

The main east-west thoroughfare through Washington state was closed from milepost 34 near North Bend to milepost 106 near Ellensburg.

The heavy amounts of snow that has fallen the past couple of days in the Cascade has created layers of unstable snow in the mountains. Just as DOT officials cleared traffic on I-90 Sunday night to do avalanche control work, an avalanche fell on its own.

"Just about 11 minutes before we set to do our blast to do avalanche control, Mother Nature took over and she sent it down on her own," said Sgt. Mark Crandall, Washington State Patrol . "We had some cars in the safety area, so we had to evacuate them out."

Everyone managed to get out unharmed, but DOT crews aren't taking any chances. Avalanche control crews will continue working to bring down some of that unstable snow.

Stevens Pass and White Pass, the two other main east-west routes across the mountains, are open.

The Transportation Department requires chains for drivers on Stevens Pass and traction tires on White Pass.

Next storm to bring significant rain

The National Weather Service says more heavy snow is falling in the mountains of Washington.

Forecasters say another storm Tuesday night and Wednesday will bring significant rain to Western Washington and more snow to the mountains. Parts of Eastern Washington also will get more snow or rain. Urban and small stream flooding is possible.