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01-08-2008, 07:44 AM
The snow came late to the region’s ski areas. But once it started, it hasn’t stopped.
CRAIG HILL
Published: January 8th, 2008 05:31 AM
There are two words Northwest skiers and snowboarders love more than any others: “La Niña,” a Spanish phrase that means powder. This winter’s La Niña – actually a cooling of equatorial waters that affects world weather patterns – has resulted in an epic Northwest winter that’s showing no sign of letting up.
Forecasts from the National Weather Service call for more snow than normal for the rest of the winter.
At Mount Baker, it’s snowed every day since Dec. 14.
“It’s like a surfer having the perfect wave on the North Shore of Hawaii for three weeks,” said Gwyn Howatt, Baker’s marketing director.
Baker, which had a 134-inch base Monday, had its third best December on record with 220 inches of snow. It
got 225 inches in December ’98 when that winter’s La Niña helped the ski area set a national record with 1,096 inches.
Howatt said it’s been a great winter for lift ticket sales, too. The ski area has received a big boost from out-of-state visitors.
“We’re getting a lot of storm chasers who look for the best ski conditions on the Internet,” Howatt said. “The Cascades are the place to be right now.”
The Summit at Snoqualmie was blanketed with 164.5 inches of snow in December, 48.5 inches more than the previous December. Snoqualmie, the state’s lowest elevation ski area, reported an 80-inch base Monday.
Summit spokeswoman Holly Lippert said season pass sales are up 10 percent compared to this time last year.
“It’s definitely been one of the best holiday periods we’ve had,” Lippert said.
Crystal Mountain already has 216 inches of snow, 62 percent of its season average. Since Dec. 28, 96 inches have fallen on the ski area.
Ticket sales for the holiday period are up 12 percent compared to the same period last season, said Jenney Harsh, Crystal’s group sales coordinator.
Skier visits have only decreased from 75,000 last year to 68,000 this year, despite the fact the slopes have been open 20 fewer days, Crystal spokeswoman Tiana Enger said.
White Pass Ski Area’s visits are down a little bit for the same reason, resort spokeswoman Kathleen Goyette said. However, some days have been so busy they’ve had to crank up the old lifts to help alleviate congestion.
“We’ve had a couple of the busiest days we’ve ever had,” said Goyette, who estimates White Pass has seen days with more than 2,500 visitors.
Chris Rudolph of Stevens Pass said the resort is having a phenomenal winter too.
“I haven’t seen the thermometer over 30 degrees in three weeks,” Rudolph said. “It’s just storm after storm after storm.”
While forecasters predicted a great season several months ago, the snow was late arriving. After early November openings in ’05 and ’06, many ski areas weren’t ready until mid-December this year.
If not for the late opening, it might have been the best start to a ski season ever, Goyette said.
“We got a little more than antsy there for a while,” Goyette said. “But it’s been worth the wait. Conditions are phenomenal.”
But heavy snowfall brings more than great skiing. Ski patrols must put in extra hours to keep areas safe from avalanche. At Big White Ski Area in British Columbia, two skiers were buried in a rare inbounds avalanche. Both were rescued.
Rudolph, who works on the Stevens Pass avalanche patrol, said it takes at least 27 patrollers about three hours before opening each day to control the 230 inbounds avalanche paths.
The recent heavy snowfall has meant that on some days, local ski areas have had to delay their normal opening until avalanche control was completed.
Away from the controlled areas like highways and ski slopes, avalanche danger has been high this winter. Nine people have died in the Cascades, making this the second deadliest avalanche season since 12 people – 11 in one incident –were killed in 1980-81.
Experts advise calling the state’s avalanche hot line – 206-526-6677 – for a condition report before heading out to play in the mountains. If avalanche risk is high or extreme, limit your trip to a controlled area. There is an avalanche warning in effect today, according to the hot line.
While La Niña has brought flooding, great skiing and avalanche fatalities, one thing has been noticeably absent.
“We just haven’t had a lowland snow event,” said Ted Bueher of the National Weather Service. “But we have eight more weeks to go.”
Craig Hill: 253-597-8497
blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure
Staff writer Jeffrey P. Mayor contributed to this report.
BY THE NUMBERS
12 percent increase in December ticket sales at Crystal Mountain compared to December 1996, despite being open five fewer days.
44.6 percentage of annual Stevens Pass snowfall that has already dumped at the ski area. Stevens gets 453 inches a year and got 202 inches in its first 30 operating days.
91 inches of snow at Crystal since Dec. 28
90.2 inches of the average depth of base snowpack at the Cascades’ five west slope ski areas.
220 inches of snow in December at Mount Baker, its third best December on record.
To read the Snow Ride Guide, go to thenewstribune.com/adventure/ski_ preview. For The Adventure Guys, go to blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure.
from: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/248580.html
CRAIG HILL
Published: January 8th, 2008 05:31 AM
There are two words Northwest skiers and snowboarders love more than any others: “La Niña,” a Spanish phrase that means powder. This winter’s La Niña – actually a cooling of equatorial waters that affects world weather patterns – has resulted in an epic Northwest winter that’s showing no sign of letting up.
Forecasts from the National Weather Service call for more snow than normal for the rest of the winter.
At Mount Baker, it’s snowed every day since Dec. 14.
“It’s like a surfer having the perfect wave on the North Shore of Hawaii for three weeks,” said Gwyn Howatt, Baker’s marketing director.
Baker, which had a 134-inch base Monday, had its third best December on record with 220 inches of snow. It
got 225 inches in December ’98 when that winter’s La Niña helped the ski area set a national record with 1,096 inches.
Howatt said it’s been a great winter for lift ticket sales, too. The ski area has received a big boost from out-of-state visitors.
“We’re getting a lot of storm chasers who look for the best ski conditions on the Internet,” Howatt said. “The Cascades are the place to be right now.”
The Summit at Snoqualmie was blanketed with 164.5 inches of snow in December, 48.5 inches more than the previous December. Snoqualmie, the state’s lowest elevation ski area, reported an 80-inch base Monday.
Summit spokeswoman Holly Lippert said season pass sales are up 10 percent compared to this time last year.
“It’s definitely been one of the best holiday periods we’ve had,” Lippert said.
Crystal Mountain already has 216 inches of snow, 62 percent of its season average. Since Dec. 28, 96 inches have fallen on the ski area.
Ticket sales for the holiday period are up 12 percent compared to the same period last season, said Jenney Harsh, Crystal’s group sales coordinator.
Skier visits have only decreased from 75,000 last year to 68,000 this year, despite the fact the slopes have been open 20 fewer days, Crystal spokeswoman Tiana Enger said.
White Pass Ski Area’s visits are down a little bit for the same reason, resort spokeswoman Kathleen Goyette said. However, some days have been so busy they’ve had to crank up the old lifts to help alleviate congestion.
“We’ve had a couple of the busiest days we’ve ever had,” said Goyette, who estimates White Pass has seen days with more than 2,500 visitors.
Chris Rudolph of Stevens Pass said the resort is having a phenomenal winter too.
“I haven’t seen the thermometer over 30 degrees in three weeks,” Rudolph said. “It’s just storm after storm after storm.”
While forecasters predicted a great season several months ago, the snow was late arriving. After early November openings in ’05 and ’06, many ski areas weren’t ready until mid-December this year.
If not for the late opening, it might have been the best start to a ski season ever, Goyette said.
“We got a little more than antsy there for a while,” Goyette said. “But it’s been worth the wait. Conditions are phenomenal.”
But heavy snowfall brings more than great skiing. Ski patrols must put in extra hours to keep areas safe from avalanche. At Big White Ski Area in British Columbia, two skiers were buried in a rare inbounds avalanche. Both were rescued.
Rudolph, who works on the Stevens Pass avalanche patrol, said it takes at least 27 patrollers about three hours before opening each day to control the 230 inbounds avalanche paths.
The recent heavy snowfall has meant that on some days, local ski areas have had to delay their normal opening until avalanche control was completed.
Away from the controlled areas like highways and ski slopes, avalanche danger has been high this winter. Nine people have died in the Cascades, making this the second deadliest avalanche season since 12 people – 11 in one incident –were killed in 1980-81.
Experts advise calling the state’s avalanche hot line – 206-526-6677 – for a condition report before heading out to play in the mountains. If avalanche risk is high or extreme, limit your trip to a controlled area. There is an avalanche warning in effect today, according to the hot line.
While La Niña has brought flooding, great skiing and avalanche fatalities, one thing has been noticeably absent.
“We just haven’t had a lowland snow event,” said Ted Bueher of the National Weather Service. “But we have eight more weeks to go.”
Craig Hill: 253-597-8497
blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure
Staff writer Jeffrey P. Mayor contributed to this report.
BY THE NUMBERS
12 percent increase in December ticket sales at Crystal Mountain compared to December 1996, despite being open five fewer days.
44.6 percentage of annual Stevens Pass snowfall that has already dumped at the ski area. Stevens gets 453 inches a year and got 202 inches in its first 30 operating days.
91 inches of snow at Crystal since Dec. 28
90.2 inches of the average depth of base snowpack at the Cascades’ five west slope ski areas.
220 inches of snow in December at Mount Baker, its third best December on record.
To read the Snow Ride Guide, go to thenewstribune.com/adventure/ski_ preview. For The Adventure Guys, go to blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure.
from: http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/story/248580.html