PARKS – Crews are scheduled to begin clearing snow from the North Cascades Highway today, March 31, Washington Transportation Department officials say. The mountainous stretch of Highway 20 could reopen by early May.

The highway closed for the winter on Dec. 3.

Avalanche control and maintenance workers took a tracked vehicle from Mazama to Washington Pass two weeks ago. They found snow at Washington Pass 10 feet deep and the snow in the avalanche chutes below Liberty Bell 35 feet deep.