Artillery no longer used to control avalanches on Snoqualmie Pass

Washington transportation officials will no longer rely on a collection of artillery to shoot loose snow on Snoqualmie Pass to safely trigger controlled avalanches above Interstate 90.

The roadway typically receives upward of 450 inches of snow a year, which could be dangerous for the 28,000 vehicles that rely on it on a typical day. The most common area for avalanches on the roadway is the west side of the pass.

Thanks to a million-dollar appropriation from the Legislature, the Washington State Department of Transportation recently completed the installation of a remote-controlled avalanche control system on the mountain pass.

According to the agency, Washington joins Colorado, Utah, Alaska, Wyoming and California in adopting the technology. A similar system is also in use on Stevens P