UPDATE: Cayuse Pass May Open by Memorial Day, Not So for Chinook Pass

The Washington State Department of Transportation issued a new update Friday afternoon indicating that Cayuse Pass may still open by Memorial Day, but there is no date set for the reopening of Chinook Pass.

According to the WSDOT press release:

SR 123 Cayuse Pass 
Crews hope to have Cayuse Pass (elev. 4,675 ft.) open by Memorial Day weekend. They are working toward cutting a single path to the interchange with SR 12 within a week. After that, crews will widen the cut to open the two-lane road over the pass. Snowfall and avalanches slowed clearing efforts this year. New snow frequently forced the crew to re-plow the road just to reach the equipment and continue clearing. Excluding 2006 and 2007 when washouts and road repairs delayed the opening, the latest Cayuse Pass reopened was May 29, 1974. Bookmark the Cayuse Pass website for reopening information and see Cayuse Pass clearing pictures on Flickr. 

SR 410 Chinook Pass 
Avalanche-control work on Chinook Pass (elev. 5,430 ft.) has been nearly constant since clearing began in early April. For safety reasons, crews often backed down off the pass and halted work due to natural and controlled avalanches. Because of the continuing danger and late-spring snow, there is no reopening date yet. The latest opening date on record is July 12, 1974. The Chinook Pass website has up-to-date information about clearing efforts and WSDOT’s Flickr site has pictures of snow clearing.