By: Tina Werner
Just as you might prepare your home for colder weather, our maintenance crews and mechanics are busy getting ready for winter. Our mechanics service more than 500 snowplows, 141 loaders, 20 snowblowers and five tow plows across the state. Our crews use this equipment to support safe and reliable travel.
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| A mechanic at our Wenatchee shop repairs a snowblower prior to the winter season. |
Each winter, about 1,500 employees are directly involved in snow and ice operations across state highways. That includes several mountain passes. They order equipment, replace worn parts and prepare trucks for the rugged season ahead. They complete Commercial Driver’s License training. Before winter starts, they coordinate with fellow first responders like law enforcement partners, fire departments and tow truck operators in their communities. But even with all this preparation, we still need your help to keep roads safe. You can help by planning ahead and being prepared for winter driving conditions.
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| Mechanics at our Wenatchee shop service several trucks prior to the winter season. |
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| A mechanic in Union Gap completes repairs to a truck, ensuring its ready for the winter ahead. |
Mountain pass closures and priority routes
Mountain pass closures happen every winter for a variety of reasons. Those might include spinouts, crashes, unprepared drivers, avalanche control operations or unsafe weather conditions that prevent crews from safely clearing the road. When this happens, Incident Response, maintenance crews, tow operators and other first responders work together to clear the road. Please give them room to work safely and expect delays. Larger crashes may require specialized tow equipment, which increases response and closure times. If a spill occurs, cleanup can take even longer. Everyone can do their part to keep passes and roadways open. This includes updating your travel plans if closures occur and staying up to date using WSDOT’s tools.
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| A driver lost control of a semi on Interstate 90 in March 2025. The crash resulted in an extended closure of I-90 in both directions from North Bend to Ellensburg while specialized tow trucks removed the crashed vehicles. |
As we do every winter, crews will “swarm to the storm”. That means moving available resources to highest affected or priority routes during storms. As always, we prioritize our work based on by safety, available resources and pre-existing priority routes. Our crews focus on clearing major interstates first. Then we clear roadways for the largest number of travelers. Finally, crews move down to less frequently traveled roadways and shared use paths.
Follow tire chains and traction tire notices
When weather conditions require tire chains, it’s for everyone’s safety. Unfortunately, we often see pass closures caused by drivers who ignore chain-up signs and then lose control. Just one unprepared driver can close the pass for everyone. Failing to install chains when posted can result in a fine of up to $500. While our agency does not issue tickets, we partner with the Washington State Patrol to help enforce these requirements. If you’re unsure about your vehicle’s performance or your comfort level driving in snow, consider waiting to travel until conditions improve. There’s no shame in waiting out a storm.
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| Crew members teach fellow employees the correct way to install tire chains on our heavy equipment in Wenatchee. |
Where is the plow?
If you see a section of roadway with no plows, they are likely tandem plowing on another route or plowing the road in other locations. Each plow covers between 40 and 100 miles of highway and typically travels 25 to 35 mph while operating. During severe storms, plows and other equipment are often shifted between areas to increase response in the most affected regions. Please be patient, drive smart and never pass a plow unless you have a clear and safe opportunity to do so.
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| A crew tandem plows State Route 16 in Tacoma. Tandem plowing is a method where multiple snowplows operate in a staggered formation to clear several lanes of a roadway simultaneously. |
Training and preparation
The safety of both crews and the traveling public is our top priority. If conditions prevent crews from safely keeping a road open, we will close it to protect everyone. Crews have completed additional winter training and prep, including temporary equipment installations and refresher exercises. All this training and prep means they’re prepared when the first winter storm hits.
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| Crews participated in material calibration training in Chehalis. An outside expert from FORCE led the October training, providing guidance to three separate crews on proper techniques and data collection. |
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| A group of trucks line up for a winter training course day in Monroe. The exercise combined hands on and classroom curriculum to prepare crews for winter. |
Do your part to prepare for winter travel
Our crews are doing their part, but we need the public’s help too to keep highways open and safe.
We ask travelers to:
- Be prepared for possible delays and ensure you carry appropriate winter travel gear.
- Stay informed. Check weather and conditions before you leave and during travel as winter weather changes quickly – if you are driving, never check from behind the wheel, pull over to a safe spot or ask a passenger to check. Use WSODT’s tools to stay informed of conditions and possible closures.
- Carry chains. Requiring chains in certain conditions allows travelers to continue moving during storms rather than closing a pass or roadway. If you haven’t before, look into getting chains or traction alternatives recommended for your vehicle. Practice installing chains at home or driveway. You do not want to install chains for your first time along the side of a highway during a winter storm.
- Always expect winter travel conditions. Drive knowing and expecting that snow and ice conditions could be present. Roads that appear wet could be black ice.
- Even if you don’t see them, our crews are out there. Plows must travel slowly to safely clear roads. Our maintenance crews often work on alternate routes or sections of highway to reach bare and wet conditions. Our crews take great pride in their work and many live in the communities where they serve.
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| A mechanic poses in front of a vintage WSDOT truck in 1972 near our Preston maintenance shed. |