It's here! First accumulation of snow on the passes

STEVENS PASS, Wash. -- The first real snow of the season fell Tuesday at the base of Stevens Pass, which has skiers and snowboarders pretty excited but for drivers that’s a whole different story.

Between the blades of grass and on the tops of the trees, snow is starting to collect.

Snow was falling at Snoqualmie, too.



“Today is our first day where we are really seeing it snow down here at the base,” said Chris Danforth, the vice president for sales and marketing for the Stevens Pass Ski Resort.



Well, some of it’s snow. Most of it at the base is a rain/snow mix. But as the day progressed, larger flakes started falling.

“We only need to see the temps dropping ever so slightly and we’ll be seeing all snow down here,” said Danforth.

Mid-mountain, it’s a different story as piles of snow top the smaller trees. Either way, that precipitation means changes are coming to the mountains.

“Around here it happens so fast and once it shifts and it starts snowing we can be open, you know, by Thanksgiving weekend,” said Danforth.

The outlook is hopeful at Stevens Pass Ski Resort. In some spots there’s enough snow to leave footprints. However, drivers may not see that snow as a good sign.

“Drivers really need to be aware of conditions before you leave the house,” said Harmony Weinberg, spokesperson with the Washington State Department of Transportation.

WSDOT monitors the passes 24/7.

“And once we see snow fall on the ground, our plows will be out there, ready to plow the roads and once again keep drivers moving” said Weinberg.

It’s also a good reminder for drivers to start checking those passes before a road trip.

“If it’s blocked for avalanche control, or what-not, that’s all on the website as soon as it happens,” said Weinberg.

And if the snow at Stevens has you excited, maybe the new 300 parking spots will, too.

“Which isn’t super sexy but anybody who’s been here on our busy weekends will appreciate that,” said Danforth.