Extended ski season could make for another record breaking year

While you might be waiting for the sun to come out this
spring, the folks on the slopes are smiling as the snow
keeps falling.

“We are watching it snow as we speak, actually. We’re
expecting another one to three feet by the end of the day
on Friday. So, the calendar says it’s spring, but it sure
doesn’t feel like it up here,” says Tiana Enger, Marketing
Director at Crystal Mountain Ski Resort.

While they typically shut down in the middle of April,
they had enough snow last year to stay open until July 16.

This year, Crystal Mountain is already planning to extend
the season through the end of April. Enger says they
are also expecting to be open for Memorial Day and
possibly into July.

“We typically average about 380 inches of snow annually.
We just hit the 500 inch mark today,” says Enger.

Mount Baker Ski Area still plans to close at the end
of April. Spokeswoman Gwyn Howat says they currently have the
“most snow in North America,” she they
don’t have enough people locally, who still want to ski
later in the spring.

The Summit at Snoqualmie says they are committed to
staying open at least through Cinco de Mayo weekend.
Marketing Director Guy Lawrence says if they have good
weather and good crowds they could stay open even later.

Stevens Pass says that as long as conditions permit they will stay open through the first weekend in May.