Washington state Department of Transportation crews began clearing snow off State Route 20 west of Winthrop on March 17.  Warmer than normal weather and melt-off this month has sped up the task.

The highway leads from the Winthrop area in Eastern Washington westward into North Cascades National Park, over Washington Pass, to Marblemount and Sedrow Woolley in Western Washington.

The mid-morning reopening allows the crew time to sweep the entire 37-mile winter closure zone for sand, rocks and debris, clear any snow from below avalanche chutes, and apply sand or deicer as needed.