Published 10:33 am Wednesday, April 29, 2026 Two high-elevation roads in Central Oregon are set to open earlier than usual following a mild winter. The Deschutes County Road Department said Cascade Lakes Highway and Paulina Lake Road will open at 8 a.m. Thursday, May 7, giving travelers access to popular recreation areas weeks ahead of a typical opening. In most years, crews spend up to six weeks clearing snow from the routes, which wind through mountainous terrain near Mount Bachelor and surrounding national forest lands. This year’s warmer winter and lighter snowfall allowed plowing and maintenance work to finish sooner. In a typical year with normal or above normal snowpack, crews open the Cascades Lakes Highway on or around May 22. “At present, there is two to three feet of snow in the highest elevation area adjacent to Cascade Lakes Highway, although I imagine that will significantly decrease in the next week,” said Deschutes County road department director Chris Doty.…