Industry News
Mt. Baker Ski Area, Washington, is aiming for a December 19 opening, but the message from the mountain is clear: everything is ready—except the weather.
“Lifts are ready and staff are ready to go. We’re waiting on Mother Nature,” the resort announced this week in a video shared on its social channels as a powerful atmospheric river continues to drench the Pacific Northwest with heavy rain and unusually warm temperatures.
The warm, wet storm pattern has hammered ski areas statewide, delaying openings everywhere except Mission Ridge, which still hopes to begin spinning lifts on Friday, December 12. For the rest of Washington, including Mt. Baker, the combination of rain, high freezing levels, and infrastructure damage has pushed early-season dreams on hold.
The atmospheric river brought torrential rain to the Cascades, causing delays well beyond ski operations. Across central and western Washington:
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Landslides have closed key highways, including U.S. 2 west of Leavenworth and sections of I-90 eastbound between milepost 27 and 32.
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SR-906 near the Summit at Snoqualmie has developed cracks that could complicate resort access once conditions improve.
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Governor Bob Ferguson has declared a statewide emergency, citing significant flooding and Level 3 “Go Now” evacuation orders along the Skagit River.
The Washington State Department of Transportation has called this one of the most disruptive early-winter rain events in years, with debris slides, washouts, and damaged roadbeds appearing across the region.
Waiting for the Pattern to Flip
Forecasts show the warm storm cycle breaking early next week. Colder temperatures are expected by Tuesday, potentially bringing snow back to Washington’s mountains, including Mt. Baker, which already reports a solid base in its upper elevations but not enough to open safely.
Until then, ski areas must wait out the weather.
Mt. Baker emphasized that an official opening day will be announced as soon as there is enough snow for safe operations, and crews are ready to move quickly once the storm system shifts from rain to snow.
