‘Insane’ video shows what it’s like driving ice-covered mountain pass in Washington

Washington’s Department of Transportation shared video of what it’s like to drive on a mountain road covered in 6 inches of ice, and some people say it’s making them nauseated.

The video was recorded Sunday, Dec. 25 as a state avalanche supervisor investigated conditions at Stevens Pass on U.S. 2 through the Cascade Mountains.

“The road wasn’t even accessible with our WSDOT vehicles, so he (used) a Sno-Cat to evaluate conditions,” the state wrote.

“Status: excellent for hockey, not that great for driving.”

The video begins as the Sno-Cat is starting to go into a curve, and it shows the pavement had been replaced by something akin to a big sheet of milky glass.

Freezing rain was to blame, state officials said, and the half-foot of ice was roughly double what DOT road graders can scrape up in one pass.

The Facebook video had been viewed 144,000 times and had more than 4,000 reactions as of Dec. 28. Some commenters used words like “insane” and “scary,” while others suggested the supervisor should have used a hockey rink Zamboni.

“That vid makes me nauseous,” Tylor Townsend posted.

“I’m not even there and I feel like I’m going to fall off the cliff,” Colby B Canham wrote.

“This road is terrifying in good weather! This is worse!” Barbara Mundell said.

The Stevens Pass reopened after much of the ice was scraped away, the state reported. However, drivers were advised to use traction tires, and oversized vehicles were prohibited, the state said.

This story was originally published December 28, 2022 at 11:38 AM with the headline "‘Insane’ video shows what it’s like driving ice-covered mountain pass in Washington."