Heavy snow in the Olympics will keep Hurricane Ridge closed for Thanksgiving and possibly into the Thanksgiving weekend, if it doesn’t let up.

Plowing operations on Hurricane Ridge Road south of the Heart o’ the Hills entrance station are expected to start Friday morning, so the road should be open this weekend — if Mother Nature permits.

An afternoon report today said there’s 36 inches of snow recorded at Hurricane Ridge.

Phone Olympic National Park’s recorded hotline at 360-565-3131 for current weather and road conditions.

Here’s the latest National Weather Service forecast for the Olympics and — for those traveling to Eastern Washington for Thanksgiving — the Cascades:

WAZ513-518-519-220600-

/O.CON.KSEW.WW.Y.0036.000000T0000Z-121122T0600Z/

OLYMPICS-WEST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES AND PASSES-

WEST SLOPES CENTRAL CASCADES AND PASSES-

336 PM PST WED NOV 21 2012

…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS

EVENING…

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…MOUNT BAKER HIGHWAY…STEVENS PASS…

SNOQUALMIE PASS…THE ROAD TO PARADISE IN MOUNT RAINIER

NATIONAL PARK…HURRICANE RIDGE IN THE OLYMPICS.

* TIMING…EXPECT SNOW SHOWERS TO SLOWLY TAPER OFF OVERNIGHT.

* ACCUMULATIONS…NEW SNOW ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 3 INCHES THROUGH

THIS EVENING GIVING TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 12 INCHES.

* SNOW LEVEL…THE SNOW LEVEL IS NEAR 2000 FT WITH SNOW SHOWERS ON

ALL HIGHWAY PASSES.

* MAIN IMPACT…EXPECT WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS IN THE

MOUNTAINS. FOR ROAD CONDITIONS OR TRAVEL ALERTS…CALL 5-1-1

OR 1-800-695-7623…OR VISIT WWW.WSDOT.WA.GOV.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

THIS WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW

WILL LIKELY CAUSE SOME TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW

COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES AT TIMES. USE CAUTION ON

THE MOUNTAIN PASSES. CARRY WARM CLOTHES AND BE SURE YOUR VEHICLE

IS READY FOR WINTER BEFORE CROSSING THE PASSES IN THE SNOW.