It’s not even Thanksgiving but it feels like winter here in Seattle. Because of the proximity of the Puget Sound, we rarely get much below 40 degrees, but highs today and tomorrow will struggle to reach 30. The TV weathermen have been building hype around snow which whips everyone into a frenzy, but anyone who looks at the maps will see that the chances are very very low for any snow to stick unless you’re in Bellingham, in the foothills, or down south.
The good news is that all this cold weather has meant snow in the mountains. The resorts are slowing coming out of hibernation. Whistler opened on Friday. Crystal opened a couple lifts on Friday as well but they are usually willing to open with very little snow. I’ve heard reports of a lot of rocks in the snow there. Mt. Baker is almost 100% open. They have quite a bit more snow up there which is usually the case. Stevens Pass needs another good dump (realistically Crystal does too) and Snoqualmie will be the last to open because of their lower elevation.
It’s fun to see the ski season spinning up! I’m hoping to get out over Thanksgiving break for some warm up runs. The skiing doesn’t get really good off the trails until we have ~5 feet on the ground so it will take a couple more good storms to get us there. Usually by Christmas you can ski anywhere you want without too much fear of destroying your gear.
Viva la Nina!