PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — With mountain snow on the forecast for the weekend, many thrill-seekers are already looking forward to hitting the slopes at one of Oregon’s many ski resorts. Luckily, Mt. Hood Meadows is set to open soon.
The Ski Hood team announced its opening date of Friday, Nov. 25 — the day after Thanksgiving — in a recent blog post. The post also says that the resort could be open some days or weekends prior to the holiday, but it cannot commit to daily operations before that point.
“The schedule is dependent on snowfall and conditions, but with another La Niña season forecast, we expect to have weather on our side,” Vice President of Sales and Marketing Dave Tragethon said.
Tragethon added they’ve heavily invested in their snow harvesting capabilities so that they’d be able to open even with “meager early season snowfall.”
“We have prepared ourselves to make the most of what natural snow we receive, and during La Niña years, that tends to be a lot,” he said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s weather forecast predicts that snow showers are likely this weekend and they could persist into next week. According to Tragethon, the Mt. Hood Meadows team could start stockpiling or harvesting shortly if the snow continues to accumulate.
Once the ski resort opens, it plans on operating daily through Apr. 29, 2023 — if weather conditions allow. Nightly operations are to begin on Friday, Dec. 16, and close in mid-March. These will be five nights a week, Wednesday through Sunday.
Mt. Hood Meadows is hosting a free kickoff party at the Sahale Lodge on Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4. Guests can attend to celebrate the 148 days scheduled ahead for the upcoming ski season.