The rain that's drenched the lowlands of Western Washington over the past two weeks has finally brought snow to the mountains, enough for the Summit at Snoqualmie to partially open Tuesday.
The ski resort reported Sunday that it got 22 inches of snow since Thursday, giving the slopes a solid base. With more snow in the coming forecast, Summit announced it's able to open with limited operations starting Tuesday. Summit West will likely have the Pacific Crest open along the Upper Carpet from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for now.
And as snow falls in the mountains, the National Weather Service said to expect temporary closures or delays while driving over the Cascade Mountains.
Other ski areas announced openings in Washington over the past week, though flood damage has made travel difficult on key routes to the slopes.
Mount Baker opened Sunday, with a three-mile stretch near the end of Mount Baker Highway open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m; White Pass opened from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Mission Ridge from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Crystal Mountain opened Saturday. Stevens Pass' open date remains up in the air after washouts and mudslides caused major damage to Highway 2, though management at Vail Resorts pledged to open this year.
The National Weather Service expected Sunday that snow in the mountains and rain in the lowlands will continue through Tuesday. No significant river flooding is expected.
Throughout the rest of the week, the weather is expected to calm down. For most of Western Washington, minor rain is forecast for Christmas Day, and the mountains aren't likely to see much snow in the latter half of the week.
While river levels aren't likely to rise this week, there is still an elevated risk of landslides, according to the National Weather Service.
The immediate forecast doesn't put levees at risk, since river levels are expected to recede over the next few days. There's more precipitation expected in the week following Christmas, but the National Weather Service wasn't confident whether it would result in more mountain snowfall or river flooding.
Gov. Bob Ferguson said Saturday that another atmospheric river is expected, with meteorologists suggesting Dec. 28 as a possible date for another wave of wild weather to hit the Pacific Northwest.
In the meantime, the governor is deploying 100 members of the Washington National Guard to monitor flooding and at-risk levees that have been stressed for days — in some cases, to their breaking point, prompting evacuations in and around Tukwila and Pacific. The White River and Green River will be especially monitored.
The experts we have been speaking with make it clear that there has been historic stress on the system," Ferguson said. "The sheer number of days and the sheer amount of water is historic.
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