Who’s ready for some skiing? Snowboarding? Well if you’re hoping to get out there before Thanksgiving, it’s definitely happened but our forecast isn’t calling for enough at this point.
If you’re interested in how often Mt. Hood Meadows opens before Christmas, check out some of the graphs and stats below.
|
Season
|
Opening Date
|
Daily Operations
|
Preview Days
|
|
94/95
|
11/4/94
|
51
| |
|
95/96
|
12/3/95
|
22
| |
|
96/97
|
10/21/96
|
71
| |
|
97/98
|
11/24/97
|
31
| |
|
98/99
|
11/22/98
|
33
| |
|
99/00
|
12/3/99
|
22
| |
|
00/01
|
12/1/00
|
24
| |
|
01/02
|
11/24/01
|
31
| |
|
02/03
|
12/17/02
|
8
| |
|
03/04
|
11/20/03
|
35
| |
|
04/05
|
12/18/04
|
7
| |
|
05/06
|
11/11/05
|
44
| |
|
06/07
|
12/9/06
|
16
| |
|
07/08
|
11/23/07
|
32
| |
|
08/09
|
12/14/08
|
9
| |
|
09/10
|
11/11/09
|
44
| |
|
10/11
|
11/20/10
|
35
| |
|
11/12
|
11/19/11
|
36
| |
|
12/13
|
11/22/12
|
33
| |
|
13/14
|
11/23/13
|
32
| |
|
14/15
|
12/22/14
|
3
|
40
|
|
15/16
|
12/11/15
|
14
|
39
|
|
16/17
|
11/25/16
|
30
|
36
|
|
17/18
|
12/2/17
|
23
|
37
|
|
Average opening:
|
29 days before Christmas
|
Courtesy of Mt. Hood Meadows**
In an El Niño winter, snow pack in the Cascades tends to be below average. In fact, every El Niño since the 1970’s has produced below normal winter snowfall. Taking a look at the past six previous El Niño events, we can see this trend. There is one exception listed and that is the El Niño winter of ’06-’07. Many variables attribute to healthy snow pack and a good ski season in the Cascades. Skiers tend to like “powder days,” where light and fluffy snow drops from cold storms. With warmer temperatures predicted this winter, we may see fewer powder days and a snow pack that favors wet snow with a higher water content. This is great for our water supply and can also provide a safer and more stable snow profile in the back country.