Update: Snoqualmie Pass reopens after snowy crashes and heavy traffic

Drivers heading back to Eastern Washington and the Tri-Cities from the Seattle area found some treacherous driving on Interstate 90.

Snoquamie Pass shut down just before 1 p.m. Sunday because of multiple vehicles spinning out on the icy, snowy highway, said the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The crashes were five miles west of the summit at Denny Creek and traffic was backed up.

The eastbound lanes reopened about an hour later. The westbound lanes also closed but for less than hour.

Chains were required on all vehicles except all-wheel drives to go over the pass in either direction on Sunday afternoon and overnight.

Snow and rain was expected to continue into Sunday evening as temperatures dropped, according to the National Weather Service.

Snoqualmie Pass had more snow so far this season than in the last 10 years, according to WSDOT.

By mid-January, the cumulative snowfall on the pass was 236 inches. The 10-year average for cumulative snowfall this early in the season is 156 inches.

This story was originally published February 7, 2021 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Update: Snoqualmie Pass reopens after snowy crashes and heavy traffic."