Here’s two minutes of Zen. Yes we all love it when wintery storms freshen up the slopes. We received eight inches over the weekend and the forecast says more this weekend. But in between the high pressure, bluebird days have been glorious. Meticulous groom and wide open riding.
Two Minutes of Zen
Mt. Hood Meadows is in an active storm cycle with high winds and heavy snow which will delay some lifts from opening this morning.
Here's the plan
Mt. Hood Meadows will suspend Saturday operations, but lifts will resume as scheduled 9 AM - 9 PM Sunday, Christmas Day.
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Northwest Oregon is under a winter weather warning going into this holiday weekend for lowland snow, freezing rain, ice storms and high winds. On the mountain we’ll have strong winds, heavy snowfall transitioning to freezing rain Friday through Christmas Day, then some rain and eventually back to snow next week. Crazy weather for sure that will affect our operations!
Read this before you head to the mountain
The trajectory of this storm has been amazing - dumping 42 inches since Sunday evening. it has intensified snowing at a rate of two inches an hour - accumulating 14 inches in the last 12 hours and 22 inches in the last 24 hours.
Mt. Hood Express Scheduled for Thursday!
For the first time in our 55 year history, Mt. Hood Meadows opened for the season on a Tuesday. That’s just the way the snow fell and when it comes to falling snow, Meadows definitely makes the most of it, as did a modest crowd that turned out for first turns.
More lifts and terrain on the way
While we’ve been able to preserve much of the 17 inches of snow that fell two weeks ago, it's not enough to get us open this weekend. We currently have a 16 inch snow depth in the base area with 24 inches at mid-mountain. We still need to make it through some warming weather this week, but the ten day forecast is once again looking very promising.
We remain optimistic - here's why!
With no new snow forecast until next week – it is unlikely that we will have a preview day or weekend. Our focus remains on opening for the season Friday, November 25.
Here's what we're looking at for opening
The first major winter storm to hit the Cascades this season lived up to expectations, depositing 17 inches of snow in the base area over the weekend. The storm slammed into the mountain Friday. A potential eight feet of snow turns into 17 inches - but we'll take it!
When will Meadows Open? Find out more ...
The 30th Annual Winter Weather Conference was presented by the Oregon Chapter of the American Meteorological Society at OMSI Saturday. Local meteorologists gave their forecasts for the next six months - using different modeling and comparing to previous seasons.
Dive Deeper into this Snow Story
It’s great to see some of the industry media talking about the potential for a big snow season. It is a La Niña “three-peat” so we have that going for us. La Niña generally means more snow for Mt. Hood.
Bring It!
According to the National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center, it’s likely that a rare La Niña three-peat will happen this winter.
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We had a big slide in the canyon during this week's rain event. It was picked up as seismic activity. Not the biggest we’ve seen, but the debris is totally blocking the way to the runout from the foothills. Patrol will let grooming get started on clearing a path this morning (Friday) after the howitzer mission and routes. We may not be able to open it today, but should be able to on Saturday.
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We are suspending lift operations for Monday, February 28 based on the forecast which would make things rather miserable. With the high winds and atmospheric river conditions, we would have very limited operations if we were to operate so we feel it is best to batten down the hatches and set our sights on Tuesday when we expect to return to our normal 9 AM - 4 PM lift operational schedule.
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With an absolutely brutal weather forecast for this afternoon and evening, we’ve decided to pull the plug on night operations for this evening. We will attempt to run lifts through the day from 9 AM - 3 PM, but we may throw the towel in before 3 depending on the weather.
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We have had an active storm system since we opened on December 12. During the past two weeks, we’ve received over 160 inches of snow - which is a great way to jump start the season. With such huge snow accumulations, stormy weather and virtually no visibility, we haven’t been able to access the upper mountain Vista or Cascade lifts - until Monday.
What it takes to open Vista
As we enter the holiday week with winter storm warnings all over the place, we first want to reflect and thank our team and our guests. In these unprecedented times it truly is remarkable that we are able to experience and share the joy of mountain recreation with each other.
Prepare for our holiday week
Mt. Hood Meadows will open the 21/22 season with south-side lifts scheduled Sunday from 9 AM - 4 PM. Daisy, Easy Rider, Buttercup and the Ballroom Carpet will offer access to beginner and intermediate level skiing and snowboarding for the first day of the season.
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We received 18 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 6 AM Friday - which is providing good coverage. Now this was very light snow - meaning we aren't able to generally track pack. But it is allowing us to harvest parking lot snow and start to build up our base area lift ramps. We are gearing up for a potential limited opening featuring our Buttercup, Easy Rider and Daisy lifts Sunday or perhaps Monday. We will confirm our plans Saturday morning on our conditions page.
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So we've slipped by Thanksgiving and we haven't opened for the season yet. And even with the promise of a "colder-wetter" La Nina season, we haven't yet been able to offer a preview day. So should we be worried? A review of opening dates the past 26 seasons (going back to 1994/95) and ultimately the amount of snow we received that season suggests we're going to do just fine.
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(October 24, 2021) -- It’s official - we have now entered into La Niña conditions that are forecast to grow stronger through the rest of fall and winter, which is generally a good thing for our Mt. Hood snowpack. Meteorologists presented their winter forecast at Saturday’s virtual Oregon chapter of the American Meteorological Society winter weather conference and there was consensus that this should be a good (if not great) winter for snow play enthusiasts.
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The forecast for this winter looks favorable for an above average snow year - and that’s good news for skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, cross country skiers … and salmon!
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There's been a gradual change in the weather over the past week or so. Overnight temps have dipped into the 30s and we've had a few rain showers, bringing some welcome relief to what has been a pretty hot summer. It was just a couple months ago that temps reached 117 in Portland.
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Days turn to weeks turn to months turn to seasons turn to years turn to decades turn to centuries turn to eons ….
We recognized Earth Day with a candid conversation with the National Ski Area Association’s Director of Public Policy Geraldine Link, the Gorge Region’s Citizens’ Climate Lobby Bernard Seeger and Meadows Sustainability Manager Heidi Logosz. We hope you join in the conversation, and make the small changes that collectively, will have a big impact.
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A wintry weather pattern is dropping fresh snow on Mt. Hood Meadows - a powdery prelude to the Spring skiing season to come. Meadows received a foot of fresh on Monday, 20 inches in three days, and is forecast to receive a half a foot or more this week.
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It’s been an epic week of Powder at Meadows - going back to Friday, February 12, we’ve received 82” of snow through 5 AM this morning.
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Photo: Richard Hallman / Rider: Erika Vikander
A winter storm watch has been issued for the Cascades beginning Thursday, with a series of storms forecast through Saturday that could bring several feet of light, powdery snow to Mt. Hood Meadows. With the freezing level dropping to sea level Thursday morning, and heavy snow forecast by NOAA for between two - four FEET by Saturday, this is a major powder maker.
Are you prepared? Read More
La Niña is shifting into high gear now, with a promising snowy weather pattern forecast for the next 10 days. The storm has already dropped 3 inches of snow as of early Friday morning, and we could see another foot or two by Monday. And that is great news for our season!
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Mt. Hood Meadows opened the 2020/21 season today amidst a powerful NW storm that dropped six inches of snow in just eight hours. Lifts are now scheduled daily from 9 AM - 4 PM.
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In the summer of 2014, Mt. Hood Meadows grooming and vehicle maintenance crews teamed up to build a high-capacity snow trailer to transport snow. They gutted a snowcat, and built the aluminum frame hydraulic bed on the chassis. No one knew then how critically important that snow hauler would become for a snow-starved 2014-15 season, and for seasons to come. The innovation is credited for being able to open terrain that season that would not have been possible with the skimpy snowpack. Snow harvesting and transporting was born.
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In reviewing the COVID-19 guidelines issued by Governor Brown today, we are pleased that outdoor recreation and sports are excepted from the two-week pause of certain activities intended to curb the spread of the virus.
Our Response
Time lapse from the Top of Blue Toyota Mountain Cam from Saturday, November 7
We have a very active weather system heading our way over the next week or so. It starts with a ferocious promise of several feet of snow...
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The 28th Annual Oregon AMS Winter Weather Forecast Conference was live streamed Saturday, with leading weather authorities weighing in on the winter to come. All indicated we have a La Niña that appears to be growing stronger as we get closer to winter.
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MT. HOOD NATIONAL FOREST
MEDIA ALERT
Date: September 7, 2020
Crews responding to small fire at Mt. Hood Meadows Early this morning
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The White River wildfire that sparked 10 days ago south of Mt. Hood has grown in the last 24 hours. A billowing plume of smoke rising high above the ridgeline was captured on our Toyota Mountain Cameras. The Vista cam shows the towering plume Thursday afternoon.
See Video
The Climate Prediction Center for the National Weather Service is forecasting a La Niña for this winter.
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There is an enormous amount of work to do in the challenging Cascade Express deicing project.
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Wow. Look at the top tower of Vista. And still there's a better than 50% chance it will run Sunday! Because of that guy climbing the tower!
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After days, even weeks of snow recovery and repair, Cascade Express opened today.
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It’s kind of like the movie Ground Hog’s Day - Storm hits, team deices and recovers, then another storm or icing incident and we wake up, deice and recover all over again. We’ve experienced some fairly extreme weather this January - even compared to our normal upper mountain standards.
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After two weeks of serious storm systems, the last one dumping over six feet of snow at Meadows, the sun came out yesterday for our first real sunny day of the year. And of course, we all want to know when is Cascade going to open?
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We won’t be opening access gates to Heather Canyon or Private Reserve Sunday, as freezing levels rose higher than forecast today. Our Ski Patrol and Snow Safety teams aren’t liking what they’re seeing in Heather and PR, so out of an abundance of caution the gates will be closed.
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Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Patrol has been hard at work opening up more of legendary Heather Canyon today, with control gate access from Moon Bowl to the Heather lift line. They also opened gates to Elk and Yoda Bowls, and God’s Wall for some primo deep powder plunging.
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Mt. Hood Meadows today opened the access gates to Jack’s Woods - advanced, double-black diamond expert terrain known for exquisite powder skiing.
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We have a saying at Mt. Hood Meadows - everybody shovels! We’ve received four feet of snow since Friday and there’s snow forecast for the entire week!
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This powerful storm has dropped three feet of snow since Friday afternoon. In the last week our base area snow level has gone from 42 inches to 86 inches - and we have surpassed the 100 inch mark at mid-mountain. Thank you storm!
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We’ve suspended operations for the rest of the day here at Meadows, due to high winds.
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I guess you’d expect it - the first big powder day of the season aligns with the first peak weekend of the season. While we opened lifts on time this morning, the main issue is getting to the mountain.
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We can say this without any hesitation. IT”S THE STORM OF THE DECADE! Of course, the decade is only nine days old. But this forecast is pretty awesome!
Read the Forecast
Since January 1, we’ve seen our base area snow depth increase from 33 inches to 53 inches. And we're just entering into an active storm cycle.
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We’re liking what we are seeing as this storm is shaping up. The systems are converging as are the forecasts - we’re going to get a foot or two of snow through the weekend. And that’s GREAT news!
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As we enter a new year and decade its a time for reflection, renewal and resolve. We reflect back on this season, and the challenges it has presented to demonstrate our resolve for the future.
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It’s been a weird start to the season this year - our upper mountain has taken a definite pummeling. However, Cascade Express could open to limited terrain by the weekend.
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It’s been a snowy week at Meadows - with a storm that dropped 19 inches since Tuesday evening, including nearly a foot in the last 24 hours. With a forecast for continued snow flurries and a few more inches of accumulation, we are evaluating terrain and making preparations for additional lifts to operate.
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General Manager Greg Pack Welcomes You to Opening Day
Mt. Hood Meadows will open the season Friday with four lifts on a 17 inch natural base, supplemented by snow harvesting.
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Following a three-day preview, Mt. Hood Meadows plans to open for daily operations beginning Friday, December 6.
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The talent, ingenuity and pre-planning of our vehicle maintenance and slope grooming teams is on display, as they work hard to capture every possible snow flake to ready the mountain for some possible preview days this weekend.
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That is the big question on everyone’s mind - including our team. We are all anxiously awaiting the falling of snowflakes, hopefully by the millions. The current forecast is promising, with snowflakes in the window through Wednesday.
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The 27th annual Winter Weather Conference was held Saturday at OMSI, and three local meteorologists gave their predictions for a normal to above average snow season on Mt. Hood.
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It’s always exciting to see the first snowfall of the season - especially when you get so much snow and it’s still September! So when will Meadows open?
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Forecasters have announced El Nino is over and we are headed towards a winter where conditions will be “neutral”. So what does ENSO-neutral mean?
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(Mt. Hood, OR — Immediate Release) — It’s the intersection of winter and summer Memorial Day Weekend at Mt. Hood Meadows. Meadows plans to operate two lifts - the Daisy chair and the Cascade Express quad to access spectacular wide open snow fields Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day Weekend. Lift hours are 8 AM - 2 PM each day weather can conditions permitting.
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Today we found evidence of two very large avalanches, in Heather Canyon. One came out of the Basalts (above A- Zone) and the other out of Super Bowl. Both were triggered by Artillery yesterday.
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February’s ten feet of snow has given Mt. Hood Meadows one of the deepest snowpacks in North America. With a 176 inch mid-mountain base, Meadows heads into Spring with great conditions and a SpringSational line up of events.
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February has been amazing - with 95” of snow so far and a forecast for two-to-four more feet over the next few days. Thank you El Nino! The video above is a playlist documenting just how awesome February has been at Mt. Hood Meadows.
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Timberline, Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, Summit, Cooper Spur and Mt. Hood Meadows ski areas support S. 3791/H.R. 763, the Federal Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act and Oregon House Bill 2020, the Oregon Climate Action Program.
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Holiday snow enthusiasts took the plunge into continuous freshies today at Mt. Hood Meadows.
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An update on our Gated Access Terrain from Brian Murphy - our Snow Safety Supervisor:
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Meadows is becoming Powder central this week - with four quality powder days since Friday, and more in store this week.
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The brunt of this winter storm will hit over the next 48 hours. We expect at least a foot of snow overnight by our scheduled Monday morning lift openings, with another two or more feet by Tuesday morning. All this snow is being delivered by an active storm with very strong winds. So while we are all looking to dive into this fresh powder, we do need to set some expectations.
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Prepare yourself for the biggest storm of the season. It started snowing Friday afternoon, accumulating 13inches of new snow in less than 24 hours, and the forecast has snow every day through next Friday.
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The seven inches of new snow these last two days has refreshed us! Wednesday was just one of those out of this world days.
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It’s amazing what even just a little snow can do to freshen things up.
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A weekend filled with sunshine should bring everyone out of their homes and into the sunlight to recreate, explore, take an adventure and literally improve their overall mood and outlook. Boy is this well timed on the week that there is no NFL playoffs!
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What we found on the Cascade Express towers and rope line following a major storm was almost beyond belief.
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