Ski season not over yet

MOSES LAKE — This hasn’t been our snowiest winter, but ski resorts in the region got a late-season boost this week with a sudden snowfall, just in time for the three-day Presidents Day weekend. 

“We’ve received over four inches, probably closer to five inches of new snow since about 8 o’clock this morning,” Tony Hickok, marketing director at Mission Ridge near Wenatchee, said Monday. “It’s the first significant snow that we’ve seen in a bit. A very welcome return to winter.” 

Mission Ridge has been open since the beginning of December, Hickok said, but with limited terrain. All four chairlifts were in use for a brief time during the season, he said, but for the last month it’s been only three. Not all of the resort’s runs have been in operation either, he said, but thanks to a snowmaking system, the ones that are open have been kept in good shape. 

Mount Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park, northeast of Spokane, was also happy with the gift of snow. 

“It’s been snowing all day today, and we have snow in the forecast every day of the week,” said Assistant General Manager Jodi Kayler. “People are out here having fun … It seems like winter’s finally here.” 

49 Degrees North Mountain Resort, near Chewelah, has done pretty well despite the warm winter, said Ticket Office Lead Harley Holt. 

“We’ve been having pretty good daily (turnout),” Holt said. “We still have our season pass holders, and we have our dailies who love our mountain enough to keep coming back regardless of snowfall.” 

Washington has been going through a dry spell in January, according to the State Climate Office at the University of Washington. Snowpack has been well below normal at barely over half the historical median. 

“It’s definitely been less snowfall from years prior,” Holt said. “Last year was one of our golden years. We had like 108 inches finishing the season.” 

49 Degrees North has 17 inches of snow at the base and 30 inches at the summit Monday, according to its conditions report. Mt. Spokane had 16 inches at the base and 34 inches at the summit, and Mission Ridge showed 19 inches at the summit and less than 12 inches at the base. 

“About every 10 years we see a significantly lower-snowfall year,” Hickok said. “The last year with really low snow was 2014-15. So, it does happen from time to time.” 

Keeping an eye on a ski park’s website is important, as conditions can change quickly. With spring around the corner, skiers should be extra aware of the terrain they’re skiing on. 

“There are some rocks pointing out at certain spots,” Holt said. “I recommend bringing your spring gear, skis that you wouldn’t mind of they had a scratch on them.” 

The Presidents Day weekend is a popular one for folks to hit the slopes, Hickok said, along with Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the week after Christmas. 

“We’ve had a lot of folks getting out this weekend, enjoying the conditions,” he said. “And we expect to see an uptick in this coming week with the new snowfall.”