Over the past week, we have experienced another bout of unprecedented extreme weather here at The Ridge. From last Wednesday thru Saturday, three feet of new snow fell in the Upper Basin, providing the deepest powder of the season so far and greatly bolstering our snowpack. On Sunday night, the mountain experienced a quick warmup alongside continued high winds and damp conditions. This wet, breezy, and unseasonably warm weather has persisted for the last several days, generating dense spring conditions and rapid melting.
The dynamic nature of last week’s weather has resulted in increasing avalanche risk in the Upper Basin. Following assessment from the Patrol team, the Upper Basin remained closed on Wednesday (3/18) and Thursday (3/19). Due to rapid melting, a dense and saturated layer of the snowpack now lies atop a looser and grainier layer, greatly elevating the risk of wet slab avalanches.
We will continue to monitor the situation in the coming days. The forecast calls for warm temperatures to persist through at least Friday night, with the potential for measurable rainfall on Friday. There is a strong likelihood that the Upper Basin will remain closed on Friday (3/20) and Saturday (3/21).
Lifts scheduled for operation on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday include Chair 1 & Chair 4, as well as all surface lifts. Chairs 2 and 3 are closed at this time. Chair 2 will re-open when conditions permit, while Chair 3 will remain closed for maintenance through the weekend regardless of conditions. Open runs on Thursday include Castle, Lomax, Siktum, Lower Chak Chak, Mimi, & Pika Peak, along with 100Laps Park and Lil Bombers Park. It is likely that a similar lift-and-trail configuration will persist over the next several days.
Keep an eye on the Mountain Report to view the latest info.
Uphill Policy
Uphill Policy is CLOSED
