Cheap Skiing? Not While Oregon Budget Ski Spots Still Closed
In the absence of snowfall, resorts are relying on snowmaking systems to keep things running.
Image: Tada Images/Shutterstock.com
It’s a sorry start to the ski season in the Pacific Northwest—so much so that the only resorts open in Oregon are the three largest and most expensive: Mt Hood Meadows, Timberline Lodge, and Mount Bachelor. And they’re leaning on resource-intensive snowmaking systems, and asking employees to schlep snow from one part of the mountain to another. Greg Pack, president and general manager of Mt Hood Meadows, told Think Out Loud this week that his team has relied on Sno-Cat dump trucks to keep the slopes operational: “We’re finding it from every edge of the mountain and trying to put it in the right places.”
If that sounds expensive, it is. And that's a problem for skiers on a budget. Smaller and more affordable resorts remain closed. Among them are Skibowl, Cooper Spur, Willamette Pass, and Hood, which canceled its New Year’s Eve party due to a lack of snow. (That resort needs 26 inches to operate; it currently reports just over 10 inches.) Down at nonprofit community ski area Mt Ashland, the scant snow cover could lead to staff furloughs or layoffs.
What’s going on? Warmer temperatures have led to snowpack levels at 28 percent of the norm in Oregon, while Washington’s are at 42 percent. Blame El Niño: warmer waters in the Pacific lead to a dryer season in the Pacific Northwest. We’re in the midst of the same extreme El Niño event that helped make 2023 the global hottest year ever recorded—and could make 2024 even toastier. Skiing is the least of the problem: a low snow year can spell trouble for the summer agriculture season and bring heightened wildfire risk.
Before this week, the long-range forecast from the National Weather Service was looking dire, with above-normal temperatures along the entire West Coast likely to continue through the winter.
But before you hang up your boots in despair, remember this: we live in a region blessed (historically, at least) with one of the longest ski seasons in North America. And in the immediate forecast? According to meteorologist Chris Tomer, Friday could kick off a weeklong stretch of winter storms. We're crossing our skis.
