Sauk Suiattle Public Safety

01/04/2021

11/17/2020

It's official, the North Cascades Highway is closed for the season. The closure points start at milepost 134/Ross Dam Trailhead and at milepost 171/Silver Star Gate. We close this stretch of highway due to avalanche risk, so anyone using this area should check forecasts before heading up.

11/12/2020

Good morning from the day crew! We're getting spun up this morning & will have updates for you through the day. A lot headed our way over the next 24-48 hours but the main story will be heavy mountain snow with difficult travel over the Cascades through Saturday morning.

We've been talking about the potential for strong winds the past few days but the forecast has trended weaker in that regard. It'll be breezy today into Friday, especially along the coast, north of Everett and south of Olympia inland, but more in lines with a typical late fall system.

Still, it'll be enough to cause localized power outages and some tree damage so be prepared in case that happens in your area. We'll post a look at forecast gusts here in a bit.

11/11/2020

Here's a satellite image early this morning showing the next front offshore--this one will arrive later in the day Thursday. Another stronger low pressure system will approach the area on Friday and bears watching.

11/11/2020

Active weather this week. A stronger system may impact the area Friday into Saturday for lowland rain and heavier mountain snow. There is also potential for strong winds during this time. However, there is significant uncertainty in the track of this system.

The track and strength of the weather system will determine how strong the winds are and ultimately how widespread the impacts will be! At this time, localized tree damage and power outages do appear possible for at least Western Washington.

What we do know - heavy lowland rain is expected Friday into Saturday with heavy mountain snow possible for the Passes with snow levels around 2500-3500 feet.

What do you need to do? Monitor the forecasts! We will post more updates over the next few days.

11/10/2020

Notice: You may see several slash piles burning on Prairie Mountain this evening. This is a DNR permitted burn and will be continuing into tomorrow. This fire is very visible when traveling from Darrington East out to Sauk Prairie. The fire is monitored and there is no risk to populated areas. There is no need to call 911 to report this fire.

Apologies, as this photo captured from an iPhone doesn’t do the fire justice!

11/09/2020

Snow for the Cascades late this afternoon through Tuesday night as a system moves through. Plan for winter driving conditions. Make sure to check WSDOT road conditions before traveling!

09/14/2020

That's not how it was supposed to go. The system we were counting on to bring us some relief has... not. The smoke is mostly still here, and light southerly winds are bringing more from Oregon at least through Tuesday. Air quality across much of the state is in the very unhealthy to hazardous range, and will likely stay there. What happened? Head to the Washington Smoke Information blog for an interesting (albeit depressing) explanation: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/2020/09/atmosphere-is-not-delivering-what-we.html. Short version - little ventilation on the coast.

09/14/2020

Update on the Downey Creek Fire

Update: There was limited growth on the Downey Creek Fire on the Darrington Ranger District since yesterday. Crews are working to remove downed trees from Suiattle River Road to allow for heavy equipment to enter the area. Moving forward crews will continue to assess the fire and remove hazard trees along the road.

You can help firefighters and local communities by respecting the closure order and avoiding any activities that can start a spark.

For more info on the Downey Creek Fire visit: https://go.usa.gov/xG8Vn

09/14/2020

The air quality is 314 HAZARDOUS, please stay safe

09/09/2020

The Downey Crk Trail and Sulphur Creek Trail are temporarily closed for wildfire operations and visitor safety. Please respect this temporary closure. We will continue to post updates if needed. This fire is currently 12 acres and is in a wilderness area.