Schweitzer Mountain Resort to open Friday, Dec. 3

Skiers and snowboarders rejoice, because winter has finally arrived. Schweitzer Mountain Resort announced on Tuesday, Nov. 29 that the mountain will open up this Friday, Dec. 2.

The resort plans for daily operations to commence on Friday, with Musical Chairs and the Basin Express Quad running from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. If the conditions hold, the resort is also planning to add the Lakeview Triple to daily operations on Saturday, Dec. 3. Adult full day lift tickets will be available for $45 on Friday and $55 on Saturday.

Marketing Manager Dig Chrismer is one of the many Schweitzer Resort employees looking forward to another phenomenal winter spent working on the hill.

According to Chrismer, the conditions are lining up nicely. The mountain got a decent helping of natural snow over Thanksgiving weekend, she says, and cold temperatures have allowed them to supplement that with plenty of manmade snow. “Thanks to some perfect temps for snowmaking partnered with a great base of natural snowfall, we are ready to get this season started,” Chrismer said in a press release.

When Schweitzer made the announcement on Tuesday afternoon, weather forecasters were calling for one to three inches of snow on Wednesday, and for the temperature to drop going into next week.

“The forecast looks good for additional snowfall in the coming weeks, making it possible to add more lifts and terrain as we can,” Christmer said. “All in all, with the long range La Niña forecast, the opening of the Sky House at the summit and the approaching Christmas holidays, there’s so much to be eccited about at Schweitzer right now. Wer’re really looking forward to an amazing 2016/17 season.”

The long-term La Niña forecast Chrismer is alluding to was released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric association (NOAA). In short, NOAA’s climatologists are calling for below average temperatures and above average precipitation levels in the northwestern United States, especially in the Northern Rockies, an area encompassing western Montana, northen Idaho and eastern Washington.

While these long-term forecasts are far from an exact science and, like any forecast, they sometimes end up being wrong, there is one sure thing: mention the words “La Niña” to a group of skiers or boarders in the Pacific Northwest and you will see their eyes light up. That’s because Mt. Baker, located in northwest Washington, recorded the most snow of any location in the world during the 1998-99 ski season: a staggering 1,140 inches. To put that in perspective, Schweitzer gets an averarage of 300 inches of snowfall each winter. Oh yeah, and in ‘98/’99, all that snow in Washington, nearly 100 feet of it, fell during a La Niña year.

Time will tell how much snow actually falls this winter, but we do know that it’s there for now. So go out and get some.

For more information about Schweitzer’s hours of operation, latest weather conditions and Red Barn bus schedule, visit www.schweitzer.com or call (877) 487-4643.