The snowmaking team has been chomping at the bit, itching to get back out there, and an opportunity finally presented itself on Monday night (11/17). This week, the crew seized upon a window of chilly temps with renewed vigor after some uncooperative conditions hampered progress in mid-November.
After a huge start to the month for snowmaking and natural snowfall, the middle segment of November has brought a persistent pattern of unseasonably warm temperatures and rainfall, which melted off most of the team’s previous hard work. Not to be deterred, the crew watched the thermometer vigilantly as night fell on Monday, and the long-awaited call finally came. Guns were fired up immediately on the upper mountain, and temps dropped enough on Tuesday night (11/18) to give the upper reaches of Mimi and 100Laps park their first taste of snowmaking this season.
Last night (11/19) saw a mixed bag of snowmaking conditions, with Mother Nature adding an inch of natural snow to the mix but also bringing a warming trend into the morning. We had to shut down production in the Midway area around 3am and pulled the plug on the lower half of Tumwater around 11am. We’re optimistic that the Sunspot guns can stick it out through the day. Tonight looks like it could be another solid night of production for the upper mountain before the warming trend deepens into the weekend.
The big question on everyone’s mind is, “When’s opening day?” Right now, while we still have our fingers crossed for a Thanksgiving weekend opening, we really need Mother Nature to step in and change the forecast by delivering colder temps and more natural snow. You know all of our teams will do everything they can to get the mountain open as soon as possible, so stay tuned and let’s keep Praying for Snow and (perhaps even more importantly) cold temps!
Upcoming Events
The Volunteer Patrol Warren Miller Film & Raffle is Friday, 11/21! Come support a good cause, as all proceeds benefit the Volunteer Patrollers who give thousands of hours of their time each season to serve us. Get your pre-sale tickets at Arlberg Sports , or tickets will also be available at the door. Doors open at 6pm tomorrow at the Wenatchee Convention Center. Click here to view all the event details.
Uphill Policy
Modified Uphill Policy is in effect.
