With area skiers and snowboarders chomping at the bit to hit the slopes of White Pass, they might be able to this weekend, according to a Facebook post from the White Pass Ski Area.
“Snowflakes are falling, the dances are working, and our hearts are full. We’re keeping a close eye on the weather and will make a decision tomorrow about opening this weekend,” the resort stated on Facebook Thursday. “For the most up-to-date info, keep checking the website, or sign up for our email list (link at the bottom of the site) to get updates straight to your inbox. We can’t wait to welcome you back on the hill very soon.”
Normally, White Pass Ski Area opens within the first two weeks of December. While November snowfall looked good to have the ski resort open on time as expected, an unseasonably warm atmospheric river event starting on Dec. 8 brought 40-plus degree weather and rains down on the pass, melting most of the snow that accumulated.
Over this past week, temperatures on the pass dropped again, and snow has been falling. As of Dec. 19, 10 inches of fresh powder had fallen over the past 36 hours, according to the snow report on White Pass Ski Area’s website.
Base depth was variable depending on location, listed between 14 and 28 inches.
Luckily for skiers and snowboarders, snow on the pass is expected to continue falling almost daily through Christmas next week, according to the National Weather Service. This includes a winter storm warning on Friday and Saturday with “heavy snow” forecasted to fall.
For more information and to sign up for updates from White Pass Ski Area, check on the snow report on the ski resort’s website at https://skiwhitepass.com/the-mountain/snow-report.
To view the National Weather Service’s forecast for White Pass, visit https://tinyurl.com/5n7hhbsv.
