Snoqualmie Pass reopened

Snow and a high threat of avalanches prompted officials to close Washington’s three main east-west mountain passes today and two were expected to remain shut down into Friday. But the busiest pass, Snoqualmie, reopened about 8:30 p.m. after highway crews used a 14-hour closure to bring down potential avalanches and plow the highway, state Transportation Department spokesman Lloyd Brown said. Another storm was expected to dump as much as 18 inches of new snow on the Cascades overnight, keeping avalanche danger high. Even Seattle could see as much as 2 inches of snow by morning.