As of early Tuesday morning, the National Park Service reported there was 146 inches of snow at Paradise, with 31 inches of new snow since 11 am Monday. Avalanche danger is currently high with very dangerous avalanche conditions.
Snow keeps falling at White Pass and other area ski resorts, creating epic powder conditions for those able to make the trip up to the mountains.
Getting there might not be easy. Chains or four-wheel drive were required by the Washington Department of Transportation as of Tuesday morning. White Pass marketing director Kathleen Goyette said it’s especially difficult for westside skiers and snowboarders dealing with warmer, slushy, messy conditions.
Once skiers are on the slopes, Goyette stressed the importance of skiing with a partner and staying safe on the mountain as deep snow brings added dangers.
“We’re working hard to make it a fun and primarily safe experience for everyone,” Goyette said. “Unfortunately, we get called in. Our patrol will respond to backcountry avalanches if they’re close by.”
She said White Pass recommends everyone avoid the backcountry under current conditions, which include 51 inches of snow in the last 48 hours as of Tuesday morning and much more expected throughout the week. All lifts and runs are open within the resort’s boundaries thanks to extensive snow clearing work and avalanche control by White Pass staff.
Mt. Hood Meadows vice president of communications Dave Tragethon said the resort’s upper mountain is closed due to ongoing snowstorms after 50 inches since last Friday afternoon. He noted the closure of I-84 east of Portland has made travel more difficult, but they’re still seeing good turnouts with decent winter travel conditions in the mountains.
“Yesterday was a big day with two feet of snow in 24 hours,” Tragethon said. “We’re sending out lots of messaging to our guests about deep snow immersion and potential suffocation with these types of conditions, staying away from tree wells.”
Crystal Mountain’s parking lots are full even with the upper mountain closed for the day and uphill travel banned until staff can finish control work.
Summit on Snoqualmie is on standby as I-90 remains closed in both directions from North Bend to Ellensburg. Goyette said that should help boost attendance at White Pass, especially since Snoqualmie season pass holders receive 50 percent off lift tickets at White Pass.
Summit at Snoqualme’s snow report noted it hasn’t seen this much snow in such a short period of time for several years, and Goyette believes the same to be true for White Pass. As snowfall continues but perhaps slows down a bit throughout the week, Goyette and Tragethon believe it should create ideal conditions for the weekend.
