Mt. Baker announces opening date, kicking off WA ski season

Skiers and snowboarders, the wait is over. The 2024-25 season gets underway Wednesday at Mt. Baker Ski Area, when season passholders get a first crack at the slopes. The Whatcom County ski area opens to the general public on Thursday. Early season operations will start at the Heather Meadows Base Area. The White Salmon Base Area is expected to open Saturday.

“All the stars aligned this weekend and thankfully the cold air moved in and the snow level finally stayed below the ski area for long enough to bring us a whopping 3 FEET of snow since Friday,” the ski area’s staff posted Sunday on its website.

New snow has carpeted the Cascade passes and higher elevations over the past several days, with more on the way as a blizzard warning is in effect until Wednesday for the North and Central Cascades.

Lifts will also start spinning Friday at White Pass Ski Area for season passholders only, with general public access opening Saturday. The ski area along Highway 12 will be closed for most of Thanksgiving week, then will reopen Nov. 29, depending on conditions.

Elsewhere in Washington, Stevens Pass is scheduled to open Dec. 6. Crystal Mountain Resort, Mission Ridge and The Summit at Snoqualmie have not yet announced opening dates.

“This weekend’s storm brought us a healthy amount of base-building material and the entire mountain is now blanketed in white from top to bottom,” Summit staff wrote Monday on its website. “While it isn’t enough to announce an opening, it’s a great start. Typically we need at least a couple feet of snow to get Summit West open for the season, and quite a bit more to get Alpental up and running.”

While Washington skiers and riders wax their gear, the season has already begun elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest. Lookout Pass, Idaho, was first out of the gate on Nov. 8. Mt. Bachelor near Bend, Ore., followed on Nov. 15. Whistler Blackcomb, B.C., is slated to open Friday, one day earlier than planned.