I-90 Chains & Traction Requirements

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Last updated at: NOV 3, 2026, 3:15 PM PST · WSDOT

Washington does not use California style chain control levels. On I-90 over Snoqualmie Pass, WSDOT posts one of four traction requirements, and the posting in effect right now is shown at the top of this page, read live from the WSDOT pass report.

The current posting applies in both directions unless WSDOT splits them: Eastbound: No restrictions. Westbound: No restrictions.

The WSDOT traction ladder

Traction Tires Advised

Snow or ice is possible on the roadway. Approved traction tires are advised, and carrying chains is smart when a storm is on the way. This is the time to slow down and leave extra room.

Traction Tires Required

All passenger vehicles must use approved traction tires. All wheel drive and four wheel drive vehicles may proceed on traction tires. Vehicles over 10,000 pounds gross weight must install chains.

Chains Required

All vehicles must install chains, except all wheel drive vehicles with approved traction tires, which may proceed but must carry chains in the vehicle.

Chains Required All Vehicles Except AWD

The strongest posting short of a closure. Every vehicle chains up; the only exception is all wheel drive on approved traction tires, still carrying chains. When conditions outrun this level, WSDOT closes the pass instead.

Carry chains all winter

Even on a clear day, the smart move on I-90 between November and April is to carry chains that fit your tires, and to practice putting them on at home in daylight. A requirement can go up while you are on the mountain, and the chain up areas on the climb are no place to learn in the dark.

Studded tires are legal in Washington from November 1 to March 31, but studs are not a substitute for chains when a chain requirement is posted.

Questions drivers ask

Do I need chains on Snoqualmie Pass today?

Check the live requirement at the top of this page. It reads straight from the WSDOT pass report, so if it shows Chains Required, chains are required right now between the posted signs.

What counts as an approved traction tire in Washington?

An approved traction tire has at least an eighth of an inch of tread and is marked M+S or all season, or carries the mountain snowflake symbol. Summer tires do not qualify, no matter how new they are.

I have all wheel drive. Do I still need chains?

When WSDOT posts Chains Required, all wheel drive vehicles with approved traction tires may proceed, but they must carry a set of chains in the vehicle. When the posting steps up to chains on all vehicles, all wheel drive is no longer exempt.

What happens if I ignore a chain requirement?

WSDOT and the Washington State Patrol enforce traction postings on the pass. Driving past a chain requirement without the right equipment risks a ticket, and if you spin out and block the road, the fines and the tow bill get much bigger.

The same traction ladder applies on Washington's other Cascade passes. Check Stevens Pass, White Pass, and Blewett Pass before you reroute in a storm, because each pass carries its own posting.

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