SNOQUALMIE, Wash. -- The Summit at Snoqualmie Pass is still closed for skiing and snowboarding, almost three weeks past its average open date.
Slopes at Alpental need a foot and a half of snow to open. Low snowfall and warm temperatures have brought a lot of rain, melting what little snow accumulates.
Kind of makes it very difficult to sustain the snow pack that we've had, explained spokesperson Guy Lawrence. We've built a little tiny bit of snow pack, then we lose a little bit, we gain a little bit back.
In the meantime, managment decided to get creative. On New Year's Eve, crews scooped up about 15 tons of snow build-up from parking lots and transferred it to the tubing area a few miles east.
No lift access unfortunately. It'll be 'be fit, get out there and run up and down the hill a bit,' Lawrence said. But if you want to slide on snow we're going to try and make something happen for you tomorrow.
The snow at the tubing slope does nothing for the stalled chairlifts, however. Ski schools have had to delay their season.
The students didn't cause this. We didn't cause this. The area didn't cause it. But we all have to deal with it, Jim Webb said.
Webb's in his 49th ski season as owner of Webbski. He has more than 1,000 kids and adults signed up. He plans to push their season back by about two weeks and may offer customers a full refund, the chance to credit their account for next year, or receive private lessons instead.
Snoqualmie season pass holders don't have to wait for snow. They can ski or snowboard for free at any of the sister resorts across the state and country.
