Oregon ski resorts getting snow, but need more to open

Snow is falling in the mountains. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it remains unclear when local ski areas will have enough snow to open for the 2025-26 season. Thanksgiving weekend is the traditional start of the ski season in the Pacific Northwest. Last season, the skiing starting pretty much on time. But this year, heavy rains and very warm weather have kept the slopes barren until this week. Mt. Hood Meadows announced Thursday morning that nearly a foot of snow had fallen with more in the forecast over the next few days. “We do not have an official opening date at this time, as we need to see if this storm will continue to deliver the snowfall and temperatures we need to open,” the resort announced Thursday. “But the forecast is encouraging.” On Thursday afternoon, Timberline Ski Area on Mt. Hood reported a 9-inch snow base at 6,000 feet. The weather forecast calls for snow, heavy at times, from Friday through Monday. The National Weather Service is projecting snowfall on Mt. Hood at the 6,000-foot level could range between 28 and 47 inches from Thursday night through Sunday. More snow is in the forecast for next week. Mt. Bachelor in Central Oregon, which traditionally is the first Oregon ski area to open, was reporting a 3-inch snow base on Thursday. But more snow is in the forecast. “Keep doing your snow dances and checking the webcams,” the resort posted on its website. “We’ll post updates on a new timeline for opening day as soon as we can.” The news for ski areas in Washington is worse. While snow also is in the forecast for Washington Cascades, the problem for several ski areas is access. Highway 410 east of Enumclaw is damaged by a washout, allowing for only limited access in and out. Highway 410 leads to Crystal Mountain Ski Area near Mt. Rainier. Access to White Pass Ski Area is also blocked by road closures of Highway 12 because of landslides and downed trees. The worst road closure is Highway 2 over Stevens Pass. A nearly 50-mile stretch from Skykomish to Leavenworth is closed because of several mudslides, road washouts and downed trees. An emergency plan is being ironed out to open the 12-mile stretch from Skykomish to Stevens Pass Ski Area. But stabilizing the roadway, repairing drainage and removing large amounts of debris will need to be completed before this second reopens. The Washington State Department of Transportation did not give an estimate on when this stretch will reopen. Highway repairs from Stevens Pass to Leavenworth are still in development.

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