travel between Tri-Cities & Seattle (Yakima, Richland: buy, college, live)

[neal93]

Just wondering what the drive between Tri-Cities and Seattle is like. Wouldn't try it during winter but if the weather is not an issue how's the road? Looks like Highway 90 goes right over the Cascades. Is it a twisty 2 lane road through the mountains or a wide open 4 lane highway? Might give it a try by April or May...

[MovinOutWest]

Major highway driving all the way. Not a problem at all except for snow issues in the winter. You can go here (WSDOT - Washington State Traffic Cameras) to see live cameras showing the roads and conditions.

[j_k_k]

It's one of the most diverse three-hour drives you can imagine. You can start in a high desert, drive up a lush agricultural valley, climb three soul-rendingly barren ridges in succession, descend down into a pastoral ranching and college town, then head up into the craggy North Cascades to wind up in a near-rainforest overlooking the ocean in a city of over two million.

[pw72]

There are two good routes between the Tri-Cities and Seattle. One is I-82 through Yakima, connecting to I-90 at Ellensburg...all freeway. Another option, which can save you 5-15 minutes, is Highway 240/243 from Richland to Vantage (2-lane, but more direct), connecting to I-90 at Vantage.

I-90 is multi-lane freeway, widening to 6-8 lanes from Snoqualmie Pass down to the Seattle metro.

[TormentedYeti]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

It's one of the most diverse three-hour drives you can imagine. You can start in a high desert, drive up a lush agricultural valley, climb three soul-rendingly barren ridges in succession, descend down into a pastoral ranching and college town, then head up into the craggy North Cascades to wind up in a near-rainforest overlooking the ocean in a city of over two million.

Couldn't have described it any better. Those ridges between Yakima and Ellensburg always depress me for some reason.

[pw72]

Originally Posted by TormentedYeti

Couldn't have described it any better. Those ridges between Yakima and Ellensburg always depress me for some reason.

Perhaps because it is the first brown, dry area east of the Cascades? Personally, I find them quite beautiful, but to each his own.

I do agree that one of Washington's qualities is the diversity of the landscape over short stretches. I can't count how many times I have driven over the Cascade crest (in both directions), and be amazed by the differences.

[odie91]

how early in the year does snoqualmie pass get bad? i will need to go back and forth to seattle a few times, during the 1st or 2nd week of December. will i have a problem with that?

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by odie91

how early in the year does snoqualmie pass get bad? i will need to go back and forth to seattle a few times, during the 1st or 2nd week of December. will i have a problem with that?

You may. Bring chains unless you have snow tires, studs or some other program. You may need them or you may not. Buy them now because they sell out fast when it snows.

[M3 Mitch]

If you have an AWD like a Subaru, you don't *have* to use chains even when "chains required" is in effect, IIRC anyway.

A possible alternative, longer but lower elevation, is to go along the Columbia (either in WA or OR, in WA it's a 2-lane, in OR it's Interstate)

I think Les Schwab has a deal where you can buy a set of chains, and if you never use them, they will buy them back from you in the spring.

[skinem]

Snoqualmie got it's first snow of the season a couple of days ago--leading DOT to recommend traction tires already over the passes, and allowing studded tires statewide a week earlier than usual.

Chains--some tire stores that sell chains will buy them back for what you paid for them at the end of the winter season if you haven't used them--Les Schwab for instance. (And no, I don't work for them.)

Like j_k_k said, get them or your studded or snow tires early...if you wait until snow is in the forecast, you will have a tough time finding them, or getting in the tire shop to get your tires swapped out.