05/20/2026
Forty-six years ago today, on May 20, 1980, the WSDOT reported continuing travel disruptions following the eruption of Mount St. Helens, primarily driven by poor visibility from flying ash in the Yakima-Ellensburg region and the threat of flooding along the Toutle and Cowlitz rivers.
While I-5 remained open at the time with weight limits on the Toutle River bridges, and routes like the North Cascades Highway (SR 20) and Columbia River Gorge (SR 14) were recommended for cross-state travel, extensive closures were implemented across the state's highways. Notably, I-90 eastbound was closed from North Bend to Spokane, I-82 was closed between Yakima and Ellensburg, and U.S. Highway 2 was closed from Coulee City to Spokane. Additionally, numerous state routes, including SR 504, 505, and 508, were closed entirely, while mountain passes like White, Cayuse, and Chinook were closed, and Snoqualmie Pass was restricted strictly to westbound travel.
Meanwhile, skeleton maintenance crews were actively flushing roads to mitigate the ash, though officials warned that increasing winds could further degrade regional visibility.
