I-82 to I-90 West in late April (Yakima, Kennewick: home, transportation)

[Tom Tom]

How is the drive thru Washington on i-82 to I-90 Westward in late April or early May? Do we cross a lot of mountains and can we expect snow?
Thanks for the info.

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by Tom Tom

1. How is the drive thru Washington on i-82 to I-90 Westward in late April or early May?
2. Do we cross a lot of mountains and
3. can we expect snow?

Welcome back, Tom Tom! All set for your journey and cruise?

The answers are:

1. just fine and beautiful and fascinating on extremely well-paved, well-maintained and well-signaged highways; stunning deserts, stunning mountains, stunning lush forests; you'll be rising in elevation all the way from Kennewick to Snoqualmie Pass (see 2.), but the rise is slow and comfortable.

2. on 82 you'll cross Manastash Ridge at about 2,670 ft in elevation. WA Dept. of Transportation webcam: WSDOT - Manastash Pass Road and Weather Conditions
I-90 crosses the Cascade Mountain Range and you'll drive through the mountains. Highest elevation you'll be at on I-90 is 3,022 ft. at Snoqualmie Pass; from the eastern foothills to the western foothills of the mountains, you'll drive for about 20-25 minutes; Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountains of Washington; WA Dept. of Transportation webcam: WSDOT - Snoqualmie Pass Road and Weather Conditions
Both passes: you can stop off at many breathtakingly gorgeous locations to gaze, if you put on a warm jacket or coat (which you'll need for Glacier Bay anyway).

3. no snow on the roads or the ground and no floods, but very pretty snow covering mountaintops.

A great, informative and beautiful resource: The Official Site of Washington State Tourism: Home Page

[missyM]

Or instead of all those ridges, you could do a side trip thru Yakima River Canyon. Just exit at the Training Center and aim for the gap. Takes 30 minutes to E-burg either way.