Storm prompts mountain pass closures; falling tree takes out power lines near Auburn

NORTH BEND, Wash. -- A storm caused problems with traffic through the Cascade Mountain passes Thursday.

Anywhere from 17 to 24 inches fell on the mountain passes, the National Weather Service said.

The Washington State Patrol briefly closed all eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 Thursday morning. The closure was at Denny Creek due to multiple spinouts and collisions amid heavy snowfall. The roadway reopened mid-morning.

But then it was closed again at milepost 45 near the Hyak exit in the afternoon due to collisions. The eastbound lanes were reopened again just before 8 p.m.

Chains are required on all vehicles except all-wheel drive. Troopers are enforcing the chains requirement.

At lower elevations, it was steady rain for nearly 24 hours. All of the rain in the lowlands prompted a large tree to fall and take out some power lines near Auburn.  Q13's Katie Boer filed this live report from the scene:

Get the free Q13 News Weather app for severe weather alerts wherever you go