# 511now — full source for assistants

511now is a public-source viewer for Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.

One sentence: Fire, weather, traffic, and cameras.

## What it is
511now shows official fire perimeters (NIFC WFIGS), official weather alerts (National Weather Service), official traffic camera stills (WSDOT, Oregon TripCheck / 511, Idaho 511), and official lookout stills (Oregon Hazards Lab / ALERTWest, NPS when the image URL loads).

It is made by Henricks Media. GitHub: https://github.com/henricksmedia/sightline

It is a sibling idea to Clear To Go: Clear To Go is a trail go / check / no-go product. 511now shows the stills and the map.

## What it is not
- Not an emergency alert system.
- Not a source of evacuation orders.
- Not WSDOT, ODOT, Idaho 511, NWS, NIFC, NPS, OHAZ, or Watch Duty.
- Not a Watch Duty clone. Do not scrape Watch Duty.
- Not radio.
- Not live video for most cameras. They are still photos that refresh every few minutes.
- Not a place that invents chain levels, closures, temperatures, or AQI.

## How a person should use it
1. Read the official 511 or OEM rule for that road or fire.
2. Open 511now to see the same official pictures and map layers.
3. If a picture failed or looks old, skip it. Use the official page.

## Pages
- Home: index.html — Map is the first door. Then Fire, Weather, Traffic, and Cameras. Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are choices, not the landing.
- Map: map.html — wildfire perimeters, weather alerts, camera points.
- Fire: fire.html — NIFC perimeters and lookout stills.
- Weather: weather.html — official NWS alerts.
- Traffic: traffic.html — 511 pass stills.
- Cameras: cameras.html — corridor stills. Hash routes such as cameras.html#WA/drive/i90-snoqualmie are in-page. Use places.html for named landings.
- Places: places.html — named passes and the official 511 link.
- Help: help.html — common questions in plain English.

Search is on-device. Typing Snoqualmie and pressing Go should open Snoqualmie cameras.

## Answers to common questions
Q: Is the pass open?
A: Open the official 511 page first. That page is the rule. Then look at the pictures. Washington: WSDOT mountain passes. Oregon: TripCheck / 511. Idaho: Idaho 511.

Q: Do I need chains in Washington?
A: Only the official WSDOT pass page can say that. 511now does not guess chain levels from a picture. A wet-looking valley photo does not cancel a chains-required rule.

Q: Do I need chains in Oregon?
A: Use Oregon 511 / TripCheck. Oregon can require chains on all vehicles, including AWD.

Q: Do I need chains in Idaho?
A: Use Idaho 511. Lookout Pass on I-90 is the common ask from Spokane toward Montana.

Q: Snoqualmie or Stevens?
A: 511now shows both. It does not pick. Snoqualmie is I-90. Stevens is US-2.

Q: Highway 20 or US-2?
A: SR-20 (North Cascades Highway) is often closed in winter. US-2 is the usual year-round east-west option from the north Sound. 511now does not have Washington Pass or Rainy Pass stills.

Q: Is the mountain out?
A: That means: can you see Mount Rainier? 511now shows the official NPS Paradise still when it loads.

Q: Does 511now issue evacuation orders?
A: No. Never. Follow OEM, Wireless Emergency Alerts, and 511.

Q: Are you WSDOT, 511, or Watch Duty?
A: No. 511now shows official cameras and public data in one place. It does not speak for those agencies.

Q: How old is this picture?
A: Most pass cameras are stills. They refresh every few minutes. If the agency time is clearly old, 511now says so. A stale picture is worse than no picture.

## Full answer articles (answers/)
- answers/is-snoqualmie-pass-open-washington.html — Is Snoqualmie Pass open right now? Only WSDOT can say. Read the posted rule, then walk the I-90 cameras in driving order: North Bend, Denny Creek, Summit West, Summit East, Easton. A clear picture does not cancel a posted rule; WSDOT closes I-90 for crashes, avalanche control, and spun-out trucks.
- answers/is-stevens-pass-open-washington.html — Is Stevens Pass open right now? (Washington, US-2.) Only WSDOT can say. Read the posted rule, then walk the cameras west to east: Skykomish, Old Faithful, West Summit at the ski lodge, East Summit. Stevens is higher than Snoqualmie and runs through avalanche zones, so US-2 closes for avalanche control; a clear picture does not cancel a posted rule.
- answers/is-white-pass-open-washington.html — Is White Pass open right now? (Washington, US-12.) Only WSDOT can say. Walk the only published US-12 pass stills west to east: Packwood, White Pass Summit, and the US-12/SR-410 junction at Naches. The posted rule always wins over the picture.
- answers/is-blewett-pass-open-washington.html — Is Blewett Pass open right now? (Washington, US-97 between Cle Elum and Wenatchee.) Only WSDOT can say. Two stills exist: the summit and the Don Senn Interchange toward Wenatchee. No west-side still is published — the summit picture has to carry the answer. In bad weather the I-90/Ellensburg freeway loop is often the safer bet.
- answers/is-the-north-cascades-highway-open-washington.html — Is the North Cascades Highway open? (Washington, SR-20.) SR-20 closes every winter between the avalanche gates; WSDOT sets the closing and reopening dates each year, so there is no fixed date. No Washington Pass or Rainy Pass camera exists in the published WSDOT inventory — Winthrop and Loup Loup are east-side valley stills, not the summit. When closed, cross on US-2 (Stevens) or I-90 (Snoqualmie).
- answers/is-mt-hood-highway-open-oregon.html — Is US-26 over Mt. Hood open right now? (Oregon, Government Camp.) Only ODOT can say via Oregon 511 / TripCheck. Walk the cameras up the hill: Brightwood, Ski Bowl West, Government Camp, the US-26/OR-35 junction toward Mt. Hood Meadows. Oregon can require chains on all vehicles, including AWD. Timberline Road climbs from Government Camp, so US-26 has to be passable first.
- answers/is-santiam-pass-open-oregon.html — Is Santiam Pass open right now? (Oregon, US-20/OR-22 Salem–Bend.) Only ODOT can say via Oregon 511 / TripCheck. Walk the cameras west to east: Detroit, Santiam Junction, Santiam Pass near Hoodoo — plus Willamette Pass on US-58, the Eugene–Klamath alternative. ODOT also closes these highways for wildfires in summer.
- answers/is-siskiyou-pass-open-oregon.html — Is Siskiyou Pass open right now? (Oregon, I-5 south of Ashland.) Only ODOT can say via Oregon 511 / TripCheck. Walk the cameras north to south: Crowson chain-up, Exit 6, Siskiyou Summit, the Oregon–California line. Oregon can require chains on all vehicles even on the interstate. South of the line, Caltrans owns the rule (QuickMap).
- answers/is-lookout-pass-open-idaho.html — Is Lookout Pass open right now? (Idaho, I-90 at the Montana line.) Only Idaho 511 can say. There are two summits between Coeur d'Alene and Montana: Fourth of July Pass and Lookout Pass, with Cataldo on the valley floor between them — clear at one does not mean clear at the other. East of the summit, Montana 511 owns the rule.
- answers/is-chinook-pass-open-washington.html - Is Chinook Pass open right now? (Washington, SR-410.) Chinook and neighboring Cayuse Pass (SR-123) close every winter; WSDOT sets the dates each year. No summit camera is published - the nearest still is the US-12/SR-410 junction at Naches. White Pass (US-12) is the year-round alternative.
- answers/is-sherman-pass-open-washington.html - Is Sherman Pass open right now? (Washington, SR-20 between Republic and Kettle Falls.) Only WSDOT can say. At 5,575 feet it is the highest pass kept open year-round in Washington; two WSDOT stills sit at the summit. Detours in the northeast corner add hours, so read the posted rule first.
- answers/is-wauconda-pass-open-washington.html - Is Wauconda Pass open right now? (Washington, SR-20 between Tonasket and Republic.) Only WSDOT can say; one summit-area still is published. Wauconda and Sherman come as a pair - crossing the Okanogan Highlands means checking both reports.
- answers/is-loup-loup-pass-open-washington.html - Is Loup Loup Pass open right now? (Washington, SR-20 between Twisp and Okanogan.) Only WSDOT can say; one still is published at the pass. Loup Loup is year-round and is not the seasonal North Cascades Highway - when the gates west of Winthrop are closed, Loup Loup is still the Methow's road east.
- answers/is-satus-pass-open-washington.html - Is Satus Pass open right now? (Washington, US-97 between Goldendale and Toppenish.) Only WSDOT can say; one summit still is published. Not the same as Blewett Pass, the other US-97 crossing far to the north.
- answers/is-manastash-ridge-open-washington.html - Is Manastash Ridge open right now? (Washington, I-82 between Ellensburg and Yakima.) Only WSDOT can say; a summit still is published. The hazards are wind, ice, and blowing snow on exposed ridge tops - WSDOT reports it like a mountain pass.
- answers/is-disautel-pass-open-washington.html - Is Disautel Pass open right now? (Washington, SR-155 between Omak and Nespelem on the Colville Reservation.) Only WSDOT can say. No camera is published at the pass, so the WSDOT report is the only reliable check.
- answers/is-the-mt-baker-highway-open-washington.html - Is the Mt. Baker Highway open right now? (Washington, SR-542.) The highway to the ski area is plowed all winter; the last stretch to Artist Point closes every year and WSDOT announces the reopening - often not until summer. No public summit camera URL could be proven; the ski area publishes its own cameras.
- answers/is-the-road-to-crystal-mountain-open-washington.html - Is the road to Crystal Mountain open? (Washington, SR-410 Crystal to Greenwater.) WSDOT reports the highway stretch from Greenwater toward the Crystal turnoff, maintained all winter; the resort reports Crystal Mountain Boulevard. No still is published on this stretch. Not the same as seasonal Chinook Pass above it.
- answers/is-highway-18-tiger-mountain-open-washington.html - Is Highway 18 over Tiger Mountain open? (Washington, SR-18 between Auburn and I-90.) Only WSDOT can say; a summit still is published. The stretch can be snow and ice while the lowland cities are just wet, so WSDOT reports it like a pass in winter.
- answers/is-willamette-pass-open-oregon.html - Is Willamette Pass open right now? (Oregon, US-58 east of Oakridge.) Only ODOT can say via Oregon 511 / TripCheck; summit stills are published by the ski area. Often the better line from the south valley; Santiam (US-20/OR-22) is the Salem-Bend alternative.
- answers/is-cabbage-hill-open-oregon.html - Is Cabbage Hill open right now? (Oregon, I-84 Blue Mountains between Pendleton and La Grande.) Only ODOT can say. Emigrant Hill, Cabbage Hill, and Deadman Pass are one grade with one camera; Meacham and Ladd Canyon stills cover the rest of the crossing. ODOT closes I-84 for storms, freezing fog, and truck crashes and holds traffic in the towns.
- answers/is-sexton-summit-open-oregon.html - Is Sexton Summit open right now? (Oregon, I-5 between Grants Pass and Roseburg.) Only ODOT can say. The stretch is a chain of summits - Canyon Creek, Stage Road, Smith Hill, Sexton - with stills at Sexton and Canyon Mountain. Not the same as Siskiyou Summit south of Ashland.
- answers/is-mckenzie-pass-open-oregon.html - Is McKenzie Pass open right now? (Oregon, OR-242.) Closes every winter and usually reopens in early summer - ODOT sets the dates and often opens to bicycles before cars. No camera is published; Santiam Pass (US-20/OR-126) is the year-round alternative.
- answers/is-fourth-of-july-pass-open-idaho.html - Is Fourth of July Pass open right now? (Idaho, I-90 east of Coeur d'Alene.) Only Idaho 511 can say; summit stills are published. It is the first of two I-90 summits before Montana - Lookout Pass is the second - and clear at one does not mean clear at the other.
- answers/is-white-bird-pass-open-idaho.html - Is White Bird Pass open right now? (Idaho, US-95 between Grangeville and Riggins.) Only Idaho 511 can say; several stills sit on the grade. US-95 is the only highway linking north and south Idaho, so a closure here has no quick way around.
- answers/is-lolo-pass-open-idaho.html - Is Lolo Pass open right now? (Idaho, US-12 at the Montana line.) Only Idaho 511 can say for the Idaho side; two summit stills are published. West of the pass US-12 follows the Lochsa River for roughly a hundred remote miles with few services. Montana 511 owns the rule east of the summit.
- answers/is-monida-pass-open-idaho.html - Is Monida Pass open right now? (Idaho, I-15 at the Montana line north of Dubois.) Only Idaho 511 can say for the Idaho side; stills are published at the pass. Closures here are about wind, blowing snow, and ground blizzards a still photo can miss. Montana 511 owns the rule north of the line.
- answers/is-highway-55-open-idaho.html - Is Highway 55 to McCall open right now? (Idaho, SH-55 Boise-McCall.) Only Idaho 511 can say. Walk the stills south to north: Horseshoe Bend Hill, then Smiths Ferry in the Payette River canyon. Crashes, snow, and slides close the two-lane canyon road; the usual detour is SH-52 / US-95 to New Meadows.
- answers/chains-vs-traction-tires.html — Chains or traction tires? They are different requirements: traction tires are winter-rated tires (mountain-snowflake or M+S, or approved studs) on the car; chains go over the tire. Pass reports escalate from traction-tires-advised to traction-tires-required to chains-required, and the posted state rule (WSDOT, TripCheck, Idaho 511) decides for that day. Each state sets its own studded-tire season dates. A chains rule is not satisfied by winter tires alone unless the posted wording says so.
- answers/do-i-need-chains.html — Do I need chains? The posted rule on the official state page decides: WSDOT (WA), TripCheck (OR), Idaho 511 (ID). Washington sometimes lets AWD/4WD drive unchained but still requires carrying chains. Oregon can require chains on all vehicles, including AWD. Trailer rules are part of the posted rule and differ by state and weight.
- answers/wildfire-smoke-today.html — Wildfire smoke today. AirNow (EPA) has the official air-quality number; 511now never invents an AQI. Cameras show the haze: a washed-out Rainier on a cloud-free day usually means smoke. Smoke rides the wind for hundreds of miles, so haze does not mean a fire nearby — NIFC perimeters show named fires. Evacuation orders come from counties via WEA, never from this site.
- answers/can-you-see-mount-rainier-today.html — Can you see Mount Rainier today? Puget Sound phrase for "can you see Mount Rainier today" (also called Tahoma). The official NPS Paradise webcams answer it. Low clouds, a summit cap cloud, or wildfire smoke can hide the mountain. Portland asks the same about Mount Hood — the US-26 Government Camp cameras show it.
- answers/can-you-see-mount-hood-today.html — Can you see Mount Hood today? On a clear day Mount Hood shows behind US-26 in the official ODOT Government Camp stills, and the OHAZ Brightwood lookout watches the west side. Low valley clouds, a summit cap cloud, or wildfire smoke can hide it. Seeing the mountain and driving US-26 are different questions — TripCheck posts the road rule.

## Official sources
- WSDOT cameras and mountain passes
- ODOT TripCheck / Oregon 511
- Idaho 511
- NIFC WFIGS current interagency fire perimeters
- National Weather Service active alerts
- NPS webcams (Rainier, Olympics, Crater Lake when the official image loads)
- Oregon Hazards Lab wildfire cameras (ALERTWest current-image URL, verified Axis names only)
- AirNow (deep-link; do not invent AQI)
- Watch Duty (deep-link only)
- ALERTCalifornia (deep-link only; do not re-host frames)
- FAA WeatherCams (pending in-product; do not invent cameras)

## Credit
Credit Oregon Hazards Lab at the University of Oregon for OHAZ cameras. Credit FAA if WeatherCams are used. Credit NIFC and NWS for those layers.

## Voice
Eighth-grade English. No insider courtroom talk. No LIVE label on a JPEG still. Tagline is exactly: Fire, weather, traffic, and cameras.