Industry News
Washington’s Snoqualmie Pass, sitting at a peak elevation of 3,022 feet, saw its first measurable snowfall of the season on Sunday, October 12. While it wasn’t an overwhelming amount of snow, nearly half an inch of fresh powder covered the dense pine trees of the evergreen state’s most traversed mountain pass. Any amount of snow this early in the season is enough to get Seattle residents ready for winter; it hasn’t snowed this early on Snoqualmie Pass since 2019.
Lucky for skiers and snowboarders, the Summit at Snoqualmie ski resort is situated perfectly to receive a little bit of that fresh dusting. Located 52 miles east of Seattle, high in the Cascade Mountains, the Summit at Snoqualmie offers a convenient location for skiers looking for easy access from the metro area of nearly 5 million inhabitants. The resort boasts a combined 1,994 acres of terrain across four base areas: Summit Central, Summit West, Summit East, and Alpental. The vertical drop ranges from a height of 2,280 feet at Alpental to 765 feet at Summit West, offering an impressive 1,515 feet of relief. The resort provides 19 chairlifts and five surface lifts, in addition to night skiing opportunities and other activities such as Nordic skiing and snow tubing.
The snow blanketing the lifts and runs at The Summit was a pleasant sight to see for winter enthusiasts from across the Pacific Northwest. Other nearby ski areas, such as Crystal Mountain and Stevens Pass, are also beginning to gear up for the upcoming 2025-26 season. Opening dates for multiple other PNW ski areas were recently announced in the wake of the fresh powder.
Stevens Pass ski area announced a tentative opening date of December 5. Crystal Mountain Ski Area also announced a targeted opening date of November 28, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. Washington has 20 named ski areas, all of which offer their own unique features and snow patterns. The massive Cascade Range creates unique microclimates, with more western resorts receiving abundant, heavy snowfall directly from Pacific storms. However, the inland eastern resorts receive light, fluffy powder more reminiscent of interior state ski areas.
The recent snowfall comes as a welcome surprise to Washingtonians and skiers and snowboarders from across North America. With more storm cycles forming off the Pacific and heading towards Washington, the state looks poised in a prime position for a great upcoming winter season.
