It’s snowing like crazy in the mountains. Here’s when Mt. Baker will open.
With heavy snow falling and a virtual whiteout in the North Cascades, officials at the Mt. Baker Ski Area are going ahead with plans to open for limited skiing and snowboarding Wednesday.
“It is currently blizzard conditions at the ski area and we are forecasted to get a lot of snow the rest of the week,” ski area spokeswoman Amy Howat wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald. “Thank goodness!”
Some 18 inches of snow fell Monday, according to the ski area’s snow report, and a winter storm warning was in effect through Tuesday night.
The snow base at Mt. Baker was 42 inches, the deepest of the Northwest ski areas, Howat said.
According to the National Weather Service forecast for the Cascades of Whatcom and Skagit counties, additional accumulation of 16 to 29 inches of snow was possible.
Snow is forecast daily though Sunday, when a mix of rain and snow is possible.
Howat said that’s enough for the ski area to open at 9 a.m. Wednesday with Chairs 1, 2 and 3 open at Heather Meadows. Chairs 4 and 6 could be open by noon.
By Friday, the goal is to open the White Salmon area soon, and have additional runs and lift open.
Mt. Baker Ski area is at the east end of Mount Baker Highway.
Road conditions weren’t available Tuesday from the state Department of Transportation, but 4-wheel-drive or chains were required Monday.
WSDOT usually updates mountain pass conditions several times daily.
This week’s snowfall was eagerly anticipated after a tropical storm that dumped a torrent of rain on Thanksgiving week, followed by several cold and dry days that delayed the ski area’s seasonal opening.
