Washington Ski Industry Reels from Unprecedented Snow Shortage
The ski industry in Washington state is confronting severe operational challenges as persistently warm temperatures and alarmingly low snowfall force drastic cutbacks. Spokane, Washington's second-largest city, serves as a gateway to five major ski resorts within a three-hour drive, all of which are now grappling with significant disruptions to their normal schedules.
Mount Spokane Leads with Weekend-Only Operations
Mount Spokane, the closest resort to the city at just under an hour's drive, has announced a radical reduction in its operating hours. The nonprofit mountain will now be closed to the public from Monday through Thursday, welcoming skiers and snowboarders exclusively on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. This decision stems from current snow depths of merely 10 inches at the base and 28 inches at the summit, far below the 20 to 30 inches generally considered adequate for safe skiing.
A statement from Mount Spokane's operators explained: "To best care for our nonprofit mountain and use our resources responsibly, we're adjusting operations so we can keep weekends fun, welcoming, and worth the trip. We'll continue to reevaluate our operating schedule if winter conditions change."
This move highlights the unique position of Mount Spokane as a nonprofit entity in an industry dominated by for-profit resorts. Other nonprofit mountains, such as Mount Ashland in Oregon, have faced similar struggles, with some, like Mount Ashland, shutting down entirely this season due to disappointing snowpack.
Regional Resorts Struggle with Trail Closures and Ungroomed Terrain
Other ski areas near Spokane, including Silver Mountain Resort, Schweitzer Mountain, Lookout Pass in Idaho, and Washington's 49° North Mountain Resort, have largely remained open but have closed a substantial number of trails and chairlifts. Many of the trails that remain open are ungroomed, presenting additional challenges for skiers.
Ungroomed terrain varies in difficulty, but beginner skiers often struggle on trails where the snow has not been artificially packed down or compacted by previous skiers. Groomed trails, created using tractors and snowmobiles to produce a firm, smooth surface, are typically much easier to navigate. However, with insufficient snow cover, resorts risk damaging grooming equipment by hitting rocks or tree roots, forcing many to choose between keeping trails open ungroomed or closing them entirely.
Meteorological Factors Behind the Snow Drought
Meteorologists attribute this season's poor conditions to an unusually weak La Niña weather pattern. La Niña, characterized by cooler-than-normal surface water temperatures in the eastern Pacific Ocean, typically brings colder, wetter storms to the Pacific Northwest. This year, however, the pattern was significantly weaker, resulting in high amounts of rain and flooding instead of snowfall.
Jeremy Wolf, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane, noted: "That's why right now we're looking at a snowpack that is very much below normal across the state." He emphasized that while there is a chance for improvement in February and March, with snowpack typically peaking on April 1, the mountains are so far behind that it would require consistent, heavy snowfall week after week to catch up to normal levels.
Wolf added, "But the mountains are so far behind that it would take a complete switch where we’re just getting hit, week after week, for us to have a chance of catching up to normal."
Broader Implications for the Ski Industry
The impact of this snow shortage extends beyond Washington, affecting ski resorts throughout the western United States. Resorts like Bogus Basin in Idaho have also cut back on operating hours in December and January for similar reasons. The situation underscores the vulnerability of the ski industry to climatic variations and raises concerns about long-term sustainability in the face of changing weather patterns.
As resorts navigate these challenges, skiers and snowboarders are advised to check conditions and operating schedules before planning trips. The industry remains hopeful for a late-season turnaround, but for now, the focus is on adapting to the realities of a historically low snow year.
