SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. — Winter has officially arrived in Washington’s mountains, and so did the crowds. As Thanksgiving travel surged across the state Tuesday, Snoqualmie Pass delivered a full sampler of early-season weather: light snow, wet pavement, pockets of slush and temperatures hovering around freezing.

It was a combination that felt familiar to the drivers who make the crossing often, but jarring to those encountering winter conditions for the first time this season. The pass, often a bellwether for travel headaches, chose one of the busiest weeks of the year to remind thousands of people that winter has returned.

“Everybody’s always in a hurry to get somewhere for Thanksgiving,” said Scott Baker, a truck driver.

The first flakes arrived just as holiday travel ramped up, creati

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