511now / Answers / Is Blewett Pass open?
Is Blewett Pass open right now?
Updated August 19, 2026 · Pictures refresh every few minutes
Only WSDOT can say. Open the official WSDOT Blewett Pass page for today's rule — open, closed, or chains. That page is the rule.
Then look at the summit still below to see the road for yourself.
The two Blewett cameras
The published WSDOT inventory has exactly two stills on this stretch of US-97: the summit, and the Don Senn Interchange north of the pass toward Wenatchee. There is no west-side still on the Cle Elum side — we say so instead of pretending.
Blewett Pass SummitWSDOT
Don Senn InterchangeWSDOT
Official WSDOT stills. They refresh every few minutes — they are not live video. No west-side still is in the published WSDOT camera inventory.
Why the pass can be closed when the picture looks fine
A clear picture does not cancel a posted rule. US-97 over Blewett is a two-lane road with real grades: WSDOT closes or restricts it for crashes, spun-out trucks, and winter maintenance — things a still photo may not show. Night glare can look like ice, and a two-hour-old picture can lie. The posted rule always wins.
Do I need chains for Blewett?
Only the WSDOT page can say, and the wording changes day to day. AWD and 4WD sometimes get to skip putting chains on but still have to carry them. The full answer is in Do I need chains?
Blewett or I-90 through Ellensburg?
Blewett is the shortcut between Cle Elum and Wenatchee. The long way — I-90 to Ellensburg, then up the valley — is a freeway most of the way, and in bad weather it is often the safer bet. Check the I-90 cameras next to the Blewett summit still before you pick.
Check again before you leave
Storms change the pass fast. The Blewett traffic desk keeps the rule link and both cameras in one place.
Sources
- WSDOT Blewett Pass report — the posted rule.
- WSDOT mountain passes — every Washington pass.