When it snows, it dumps: Western Washington snow lovers are in for a midweek treat after a bundle of the white stuff fell on local ski hills in the past 24 hours.
With Washington mountains ranking among the snowiest ski hills in North America this week, we took a look at the snow reports from our state's alpine reaches. Here's the scoop.
Mount Baker in Whatcom County reported 10 fresh inches of snow in their Tuesday morning snow report.
Moving south, Stevens Pass got a foot in the past 24 hours. And the top of Alpental at Snoqualmie Pass also saw 12 inches of fresh snow.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park saw its snow depth jump 13 inches in less than 24 hours, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center. However, the highest road-accessible point on the Olympic Peninsula is only open to the public on Friday through Sunday, depending on conditions.
But Crystal Mountain Resort takes the cake for the biggest powder day in North America today, reporting a whopping 15 inches of new snow in the last 24 hours on its daily snow report. (The Snow Brains article states 16 inches, which is Crystal's 48-hour total.)
All this new snow comes on the back end of a powerful atmospheric river that deluged the Cascades and Olympics with rain; Snoqualmie Pass registered 5 inches of liquid precipitation over the weekend, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center. A winter storm warning remains in effect Tuesday until 4 p.m. with prospects of another foot of snow for much of the Cascade crest.
There is some bad news for powderhounds, though. Extreme winds ushered in the big snow totals, delaying chairlift openings at Alpental, Crystal and Stevens Pass, while White Pass Ski Area closed Tuesday due to winds topping 100 mph and power outages. And the Northwest Avalanche Center forecasts high avalanche danger today in the Cascades for backcountry travel in Snoqualmie Pass, Stevens Pass and the West Slopes Central (an area that includes the Mountain Loop Highway).
While the weather is supposed to clear Wednesday, a rapid warm-up means the Cascade concrete is likely to cure into an even thicker layer. For those battening down the hatches during the storm, it's a good day to wax those skis and snowboards.
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