The weekend’s stormy weather left up to a foot of snow on Washington Pass by Monday morning and closed Blewett Pass for several hours due to winter weather as the first significant mountain snowfall of the season dusted the Cascades and Olympics.
Snowfall also closed the gates to Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park, which is maintained for public access throughout winter but may be affected by the ongoing partial federal government shutdown. Park webcams showed a plowed parking lot at Paradise and visitors enjoying a sunny day with fresh snow Tuesday. “The National Park Service will continue to keep parks as accessible as possible during the lapse in appropriations,” an agency spokesperson wrote via email.
With snow falling as low as 4,000 feet, Crystal Mountain Resort’s webcams showed several inches coating the chairlifts, a sure sign that winter is approaching. While it will take more snow to start skiing and snowboarding in earnest, Crystal is optimistically projecting a November 28 opening, pending Mother Nature’s cooperation. Meanwhile, Stevens Pass has set an opening date of December 5, weather depending.
Washington’s other ski areas aren’t so aggressive about predicting the weather over a month in advance, so you’ll have to wait before plotting your first turns at Mount Baker, The Summit at Snoqualmie and White Pass.
Elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest, Whistler Blackcomb in B.C. and Schweitzer Mountain in Idaho have set November 21 to kick off their season, while Oregon’s Mount Bachelor is already targeting November 28.
With the countdown to ski season underway, here’s a short list of events Seattle-area skiers and snowboarders should have on their calendars:
October 17-19: Preseason ski festival Snowvana returns to Magnuson Park Hangar 30 for a second year of discount lift tickets and ski gear. snowvana.com/seattle
October 18: Wonderland Gear Exchange in Fremont hosts Seattle’s only backcountry-specific ski swap. wonderlandgearexchange.com
October 25: Northwest Snow and Avalanche Workshop dives deep into snow science at Cascadia College in Bothell. nwac.us/workshops
October 26: Teton Gravity Research’s 30th annual film, “Pressure Drop,” screens at North Bend Theatre. tour.tetongravity.com
November 8: Rider’s choice of preseason parties. Crystal Mountain’s Winter Stoke Block Party takes over downtown Enumclaw while the REI Seattle Flagship transforms into an après haven with live music, DJs and gear giveaways. events.rei-co-op.com/SummontheSnowSeattle
November 8-9: The Seattle area’s biggest ski swap (more of a consignment sale) fills the Newport High School gym in Bellevue floor to ceiling with everything needed for winter. newportskiswap.com
November 22: The Warren Miller film tour makes its annual Emerald City pit stop, screening “SNO-CIETY” at McCaw Hall (also showing November 7 at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, November 8 at Temple Theatre in Tacoma, November 9 at Vashon Theater, November 15 at Historic Everett Theatre, November 20 at Admiral Theatre in Bremerton, December 14 at North Bend Theatre and November 21 at Chalet Theatre in Enumclaw). warrenmiller.com
The early season snowfall arrives earlier than many recent years, providing optimism for ski area operators hoping for strong snowpack development ahead of winter. Snow falling to 4,000 feet elevation in mid-October represents a promising start to what forecasters hope will be a robust winter season.
Crystal Mountain’s late-November target opening date is aggressive compared to recent years when marginal early-season snowpack forced delayed openings or limited terrain access.
