Deming, Washington — The snowiest ski resort in Washington, and possibly North America, is off to a solid start to its preseason.
Thanks to the current La Niña pattern in North America, the storm track has been shifting towards Washington. This means that Mt. Baker Ski Area has been experiencing some intense storm cycles this fall. Earlier this week, Mt. Baker showed a deep amount of snow on the Chair 1 carrier seat, which is considered deep for this time of year.
For those wondering what it takes to open, Mt. Baker Ski Area typically measures this by assessing the snowpack at Heather Meadows. If there’s a snowpack of 24 – 36 inches there, the ski area can open. If it’s a wetter snowpack, it can lead to a quicker opening compared to lighter snow, which compacts more.
In the meantime, it is worth noting that Mt. Baker is closed to uphill travel due to the use of heavy machinery, avalanche mitigation efforts, and other hazards.
About Mt. Baker
Mt. Baker Ski Area is one of the powder meccas of North America. The Washington ski area has 1,000 skiable acres, 10 lifts (eight of which are quad chairlifts), and a vertical drop of 1,500 feet. It’s really, really snowy there. The ski area averages 688 inches of snowfall each season. It’s best known for the winter of 1998-99, where the mountain recieved 1,140 inches of snowfall. That’s an all-time record for most snowfall at any ski resort on the planet.
Image Credits: Mt. Baker Ski Area
