Common questions. Short answers. Official pages still have the rule.

Is the pass open?

Open the official 511 page first. That page is the rule. Then look at our pictures.

Washington: WSDOT mountain passes. Oregon: TripCheck / 511. Idaho: Idaho 511.

Full answers per pass - Washington: Snoqualmie · Stevens · White · Blewett · North Cascades · Chinook · Sherman · Wauconda · Loup Loup · Satus · Manastash · Disautel · Mt. Baker Hwy · Crystal · Tiger Mountain. Oregon: Mt. Hood · Santiam · Willamette · Siskiyou · Cabbage Hill · Sexton · McKenzie. Idaho: Lookout · Fourth of July · White Bird · Lolo · Monida · Highway 55.

Snoqualmie cameras · Stevens cameras · Siskiyou cameras · Lookout Pass cameras

Do I need chains in Washington?

Only the official WSDOT pass page can say that. We do not guess chain levels from a picture.

A clear, wet-looking photo does not cancel a “chains required” rule. The valley can look wet when the summit is ice.

Washington sometimes lets AWD and 4WD skip putting chains on while still requiring them to be carried. The exact requirement changes day to day — read the official wording for that day.

WSDOT mountain passes · Full answer: Do I need chains? · Chains or traction tires?

Do I need chains in Oregon?

Use Oregon 511 / TripCheck. Oregon can require chains on all vehicles, including AWD, and can close a pass until you chain up.

Common asks: Government Camp, Timberline, Siskiyou, Santiam, Willamette. Check the posted rule, then the cameras.

Hood cameras · Siskiyou cameras · Full answer: Do I need chains?

Do I need chains in Idaho?

Use Idaho 511. We do not guess chain rules from a picture.

Lookout Pass on I-90 is the common ask for people crossing from Spokane toward Montana. Read the posted rule, then look at the cameras if we have them.

Lookout Pass cameras · Full answer: Is Lookout Pass open?

Do I need chains on the trailer too?

Towing and trailer requirements are part of the posted chain rule, and they differ by state and by vehicle weight. We do not summarize chain law.

Read the WSDOT, TripCheck, or Idaho 511 wording for that pass, that day.

Snoqualmie or Stevens?

People ask this when I-90 looks bad. We show both corridors. We do not pick for you.

Snoqualmie (I-90) is the main Seattle–Ellensburg route. Stevens (US-2) is higher, often slower, sometimes open when I-90 is a mess — and sometimes not.

Compare Snoqualmie and Stevens · Full answer: Is Stevens Pass open?

Highway 20 or US-2?

SR-20 (North Cascades Highway) is often closed in winter. US-2 (Stevens) is the usual year-round east–west option from the north Sound.

We do not have Washington Pass or Rainy Pass stills. Winthrop and Loup Loup are east-side cameras, not the summit.

Compare Stevens and SR-20 · Full answer: Is the North Cascades Highway open?

Why does the picture look wet if chains are required?

Night glare can look like ice. Rain in North Bend is not the summit. A two-hour-old still can lie.

The posted rule wins. Walk the cameras west to east: North Bend, Denny Creek, Summit West, Summit East, Easton.

How to read the Snoqualmie cameras

1. Open the WSDOT Snoqualmie page. Note chains or closure.
2. Look at our five stills in order, west to east.
3. If a picture failed to load, skip it. Use the next one.
4. Check again before you leave. Storms change this fast.

The steps stay the same. The weather does not.

Can you see Mount Rainier today?

We show the official NPS Paradise still. Puget Sound locals ask it as “is the mountain out.”

Some NPS cameras do not allow their pictures to be shown elsewhere. For those, use the NPS webcam page.

Rainier camera · Full answer: Can you see Mount Rainier today? · Can you see Mount Hood today?

Are the Paradise or Sunrise lots full?

We do not guess the count, and the NPS parking-lot cameras are only on the official page.

NPS Mount Rainier webcams

Is there a fire near me?

Look at the nearest official lookout picture. Then check AirNow for air quality. For a named fire, use Watch Duty or your county alerts.

Dust, clouds, and steam can look like smoke. We do not send “smoke detected” alerts.

If you see new fire or smoke and believe no one has reported it, call 911.

Smoke view · Fire view · Full answer: Wildfire smoke today

Does 511now issue evacuation orders?

No. Never. 511now shows cameras and public data. It does not send alerts, notifications, or sirens, and it never tells you to stay or to go.

Evacuation orders come from your county sheriff or emergency management office. They reach you through Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) on your phone, local authorities, and county alert systems. Keep WEA enabled in your phone settings, and sign up for local alerts: Oregon uses OR-Alert; Washington counties are listed by the Washington Emergency Management Division; Idaho counties by the Idaho Office of Emergency Management.

If you feel unsafe, leave early. You do not need an order — or any app — to give you permission.

Español: Esta aplicación muestra cámaras y datos públicos. No es un sistema de alertas de emergencia y no emite órdenes de evacuación. Si se siente en peligro, váyase temprano.

Why can’t I move the camera?

Public viewers cannot steer fire lookout cameras. Emergency staff control where they point, especially during an incident.

Wait for the next sweep, or open another camera.

How old is this picture?

Most pass cameras are still photos. They refresh every few minutes. They are not live video.

We pull the same file the official site shows. If that file loads, we call it a current official still. If the agency time is clearly old, we say so.

If a picture failed, try again or open the official page.

Are you WSDOT, 511, or Watch Duty?

No. We are 511now. We show official cameras in one place. We are not those agencies and we do not speak for them.

WSDOT and ODOT post the road rule. NPS runs park cameras. Oregon Hazards Lab / ALERTWest run many lookouts. Watch Duty reports fires. We deep-link to them.