PORTLAND, Ore. — As the Willamette Valley gets a healthy dose of rain this week, snow has been falling in the Oregon Cascades. That's good news for skiers and snowboarders, who now have some options for hitting the slopes this weekend.
Mt. Bachelor is expected to open Saturday, "conditions permitting." In an update, the ski resort said it's gotten about 10 inches of cold, dry snow since the storm rolled in Thursday, bringing with it some additional challenges for the staff.
"We are experiencing high winds, which have moved snow across the mountain creating deep powder pockets in some areas and exposing the base in other areas," Mt. Bachelor said in a Friday update.
The ski resort said that it was working to open the Little Pine and Sunrise lifts by Saturday morning, but warned that there could be delays due to strong winds and icing. Mt. Bachelor’s Nordic Center, Mountain Gateway at West Village, West Village Lodge, and Sunrise Lodge are all expected to be open Saturday.
Timberline Lodge likewise expects to have a limited opening Saturday. The Pucci and Bruno's lifts will be first to open, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Timberline said it would evaluate over the weekend before announcing the plan for next week. They'd received about 11 inches of snow in the last 24 hours alone.
Mt. Hood Meadows has yet to announce an opening date, but said that they are now actively preparing for ski area operations, with tentative plans to open up the weekend of Dec. 8.
The resorts warned to expect winter driving conditions and some early season hazards, and Timberline noted that chains or traction tires are required.
KGW meteorologist Rod Hill's latest forecast leaves some doubt as to whether ski conditions will hold much beyond Saturday. The Cascades are expected to get as much as two feet of snow between Friday and Saturday, but warmer air will arrive in the area Saturday night, causing the snow level to climb to about 7,500 feet.
Timberline Lodge has a base elevation of 6,000 feet, and Mt. Bachelor's base is 6,300 feet. At those altitudes, the snow will likely turn to rain heading into Sunday.