This could be your last weekend to hike Artist Point trails before the snow hits
A weekend storm will bring breezy winds and rain to the lowlands around Bellingham, but the Whatcom County high country is expected to see its first significant snow, meaning a likely end to hiking in the backcountry.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service in Seattle are warning that temperatures are expected to drop into the 20s across the North Cascades this weekend.
Snow levels will remain above 5,500 feet through Saturday morning, falling to 3,500 to 4,000 feet by Monday morning, meteorologist Kayla Mazurkiewicz said in the weather service’s online forecast discussion.
“The surge of colder air arriving behind this system will bring much lower snow levels, down to around 3,000 feet in the northern Cascades to 4,000 feet in the southern Cascades by Monday morning. This will open the door to the first notable high-elevation snowfall for the higher Cascades elevations,” Mazurkiewicz said.
In an online briefing, the National Weather Service urged backcountry enthusiasts to be prepared for changing weather conditions.
“The main concern during this period will be outdoor recreationists and those backcountry camping with this early season snowfall event. Precipitation, combined with colder temperatures, will result in an increased risk of hypothermia for unprepared individuals,” the weather service said in an online briefing.
Light snow fell in the higher elevation of Whatcom County last weekend, near Mazama on the Pacific Crest Trail. Higher elevations around Mount Baker could get 12 to 18 inches of snow.
A winter weather advisory is in effect through Monday for the mountains of Whatcom and Skagit counties. Heaviest accumulations of snow were expected above 5,000 feet.
An official with the Washington State Department of Transportation told The Herald that WSDOT was watching the weather and was prepared to close the eastern 2.7 miles of Mount Baker Highway. That’s the steep and curvy section from Heather Meadows to Artist Point that closes every year after the first big snow.
“Our crews are indeed watching the forecast. As you know, we prepare for winter long before it arrives and are ready for things like the seasonal closure of Artist Point. While we don’t have a date for the closure, it does typically close sometime mid-October and the first part of November, so any upcoming closure would be on track,” spokeswoman R.B. McKeon said.
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 12:59 PM.
