Nation IN BRIEF : WASHINGTON STATE : Avalanches Close 2 Major Highways

The state’s two major east-west highways remained closed after heavy, wet snow triggered avalanches in the Cascade Range. Interstate 90 was shut down at Snoqualmie Pass, 40 miles east of Seattle, after up to 12 feet of snow covered the road. Crews used explosives to get rid of dangerous snow ledges and plows to keep the roads clear. And U.S. 2 across the mountains 30 miles to the north was closed by snow slides at Stevens Pass. The closures left virtually no option for hundreds of truckers stranded at truck stops. The only viable detour would add hundreds of miles to the trip.