Prep Your Vehicle for Mountain Snow

NewsReadiness
Written By Sarah Lane

The National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting 6 to 15 inches of mountain snow for today December 7 and tomorrow in the Olympics and Cascades above 3,000 feet, including all the passes. If you are planning on driving through the mountain passes, take a moment to prepare your vehicle for the weather.

Make sure your gas tank is always at least half full and stock your vehicle with the following supplies:

  • Food

  • Water

  • Phone chargers

  • Flashlight

  • Emergency radio and batteries

  • First aid kit

  • Jumper cables

  • Seatbelt cutter/window breaker tool

  • Foldable, reflective warning triangle

  • Small, foldable shovel

  • Tire chains or studded tires

  • Snow and ice scraper

  • Emergency blankets

  • Hat and gloves

  • Cat litter, sand, or carpet remnants (for tire traction)

  • Bike safety flag (that you can zip tie to your roof rack or antenna in a snow storm to help people find you)

  • Zip ties

Visit the WSDOT Real Time Travel Map to monitor snow levels. (From the map's menu, deselect everything but Mountain Pass Reports.)

Sarah Lane
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