Snow Returns at Schweitzer Mountain Resort

The snow is back at Schweitzer Mountain Resort. Stay tuned to this page over then next couple days (Sunday and Monday) as Schweitzer receives what should be its first significant snowfall of the season. Think snow!

Itching for Some Skiing? Today's Your Lucky Day

(logo property of Silver Mountain Resort and Eagle Crest Resorts)

Silver Mountain will reopen this Sunday, May 17, 2009 for a day of free skiing sponsored by Dave Smith Motors. The gondola will upload at 7:30 AM and chairs will be open from 8 AM - 3 PM in the Chair Two Basin only. Again, this ski day is free for everyone. Thank you, Silver Mountain, for satisfying local skiers' need for snow and skiing.

UPDATE: Silver Mountain will again reopen this weekend -- Memorial Day weekend -- for skiing on two chairlifts and seventeen runs with trails for all ability levels. The gondola will throw riders up on the mountain starting at 7:30 on both Saturday and Sunday with chairlifts running from 8-2:30 and the gondola closing at 4:00. It comes at a price though: $25 gets you a lift ticket.

Ski Season Ends While Snow Continues at Schweitzer Mountain Resort

The 2008-2009 ski season may be over at Schweitzer Mountain Resort (albeit not without controversy), but snow continues to fall at the resort. Schweitzer SNOTEL reports that snowpack diminished to 125.2 inches on Saturday. However, since then accumulating snowfall has built that total up to 135.9 inches - 10.7 inches in 48 hours. A significant portion of that fell today. Snowfall was not limited to the summit, though - Schweitzer village also picked up a helping of snow, judging by the webcam images at around 6 PM.

In other news, the requisite "Schweitzer is private property // no patrol is on the mountain" signs have gone up in the village near the Basin Express, the Quad, the Gateway lot, the Nordic Trail Entrance and other spots around the mountain. If only we didn't have to hike...

Upcoming Events - 1/21

While Schweitzer has had its fair share of sun and warmth for the month of January, a more active weather pattern will come into play this weekend. Expect snow and cold temperatures to prevail.

In addition to the upcoming snow, many events are on tap for the coming week as the winter season heads into high gear. The following is a summary of what's coming soon to Schweitzer and Sandpoint. By the way, if you missed the Winter Carnival/Schweitzer Lights Up the Night, it was spectacular. Luckily more great events are on their way.

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR THIS WEEKEND AND BEYOND
January 23 - Starlight Junior Race Series - every Friday in January on the NASTAR course.
January 23 - Campfire in the Village - every Friday and Saturday in the Village. Be there.
January 24 - Paint Your Own Pottery - now in the Bark Beetle Room in the White Pine Lodge.
January 24 - Snowshoe Hikes at 10am and 12pm.
January 24 - Music With Altitude - local and regional artists perform live in Taps.
January 24 - Terrain Park Etiquette and Safety Class - 12:30pm in the park shack.
January 24 - Cougar Gulch XC Race - Cross Country Race on Schweitzer's great terrain.
January 24 - Wii Night - Starts at 4pm in the Caribou Room. 'Nuff said.
January 24 - X Games Party with the Holland Brothers from 11-4 in Taps and the Lakeview.
January 25 - Sunday Solution - $20 lift tickets after 12:30pm. The best deal around!

As you can see, there are many great events coming up. When I was staying in the Selkirk Lodge over MLK weekend, it was clear that Schweitzer Village was hopping - even after the bullwheel stopped turning. Even more are events on the way. Stay tuned!

Breaking News and Conditions Updates via Twitter

I am now beginning to use twitter.com to bring the latest in updates for this upcoming storm and the ski season as a whole live, as it happens. To view the latest, visit twitter.com/skischweitzer.

Snow Report - 12/10: Schweitzer Opens Friday, December 12th

Schweitzer has now projected an opening date: Friday, December 12 at 9am, weather permitting. Officials will let skiers loose on Happy Trails and Musical Chairs (Musical Carpet as well?) with $20 lift tickets and minimal skier services. Expect it to be busy as inland northwest skiers anxious for snow converge on the half-mile of man-made machine groomed snow for about seven hours of prime skiing. Schweitzer is the only resort that has posted a projected opening day in the inland northwest, although there is a possibility that Lookout will follow suit.

SERVICES OFFERED FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 @ SCHWEITZER

• Lakeview Lodge - OPEN
• Lakeview Cafe - LIKELY OPEN
• Chimney Rock - OPEN
• Guest Services - OPEN
• Season Passes - OPEN
• Snowsports School - LIKELY OPEN WITH MINIMAL SERVICES
• The Source - LIKELY OPEN
• Activity Center - OPEN
• Stiles - OPEN
• Alpenglow Deli - LIKELY OPEN
• Mojo Coyote - OPEN
• Gear Check - LIKELY OPEN

TERRAIN OFFERED FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 @ SCHWEITZER

• Musical Chairs - OPEN
• Musical Carpet/Handle Tow - LIKELY CLOSED
• Basin Express - CLOSED
• Lakeview Triple - CLOSED
• the Quad - CLOSED
• Sunnyside - CLOSED
• Stella - CLOSED
• Snow Ghost - CLOSED
• Idyl-Our T-Bar - CLOSED

Weather Forecast - 12/10: Monster Storm Forecasted for the Northwest and West

What's Going on Now? It's a pretty big deal, actually. We now have some good news on the snow front. The storm door is finally predicted to open on Friday. The first Winter Storm Watches of this system are now being issued for the Cascades. A Winter Storm Watch means that moderate to heavy snow accumulations that will likely impact travel on roads and by air is forecasted to begin within the next 48 hours. The Cascade Watch calls for one to two feet of snow in the mountains, including the passes

UPDATE: Winter Storm Watch has just been posted for Eastern Washington and North Idaho. 8 to 12 inches are expected for the valleys around Spokane and Coeur d'Alene. 12 to 18 inches are now called for in the mountains. That's down from 18 to 30 inches earlier today. Of course, as with all forecasting, meteorology is not an exact science. The Special Weather Statement that is still in effect still calls for 18-30 inches.

What Will Be Going On Soon? Expect the first watches for Eastern Washington and North Idaho to be issued within the next few hours. Snow will begin flying Friday morning in the Inland Northwest and slightly earlier in the Cascades.

What Does This Mean for Schweitzer? A possible opening date could be projected by later this afternoon, conditions permitting. If that day is Friday, expect only Musical Chairs to be open and reduced lift ticket prices. There is a possibility that they will be able to open more terrain as conditions allow throughout the day on Saturday and on Sunday. Perhaps that includes Midway (on man-made or partially man-made snow) and the Basin Express. Other possibilities include Lakeview Triple (with only Ridge Run open) and the Quad (with only Gypsy, Ridge, Great Divide, and Down the Hatch open). Who knows? Evidently, management at the mountain. We'll see how much snow they get and what ends up happening.

What Does This Mean for Me? It means snow - and lots of it. Up to 12 inches Friday through Saturday in most valleys. Drifting snow will be a problem with strong winds out of the north. Then for early next week we get an arctic blast with negative single digit lows and single digit highs - and the wind will still be strong. That boils down to sub-zero wind chills in the -20s to -10s and on the higher ridgetops and mountain locations that could mean -40s to -30s at times. Bundle up if you're headed out for opening weekend and week.

Weather Forecast & Snow Report - 12/3

It's December already? Where did the year go? 2008 has been a great year for Schweitzer and the ski industry as a whole; in the northwest we had record snowfall and skier visits have finally been on the rise, even amidst a deep recession for the country. We'll recap the year in the coming weeks to recall all the awesome things that happened in 2008.

There's finally good news on the weather front. Here's a summary of everything that's been going on there.
It has finally cooled down enough for Schweitzer to start snowmaking on a large scale; they've been making snow 24/7 in four areas: the Village plaza, the Musical Carpet/Never Ever Tow Learning Area, Happy Trails, and the base of the Quad.

If conditions allow and the resort is able to fire the snowguns 24/7, there is a possibility that they may be able to open one run - Happy Trails - and two chairlifts - Musical Chairs and the Musical Carpet on Saturday. Only the weather and safety will be able to determine that. If there is enough man-made snow to open, ski patrol deems it safe, and management believes it is viable, they will open. If they do, expect reduced-price lift tickets and limited food service.

The weather itself looks like it will turn extremely unsettled by the end of the week. The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for the Northeast Washington mountains and the Idaho Panhandle. It calls for one to two feet of snow this weekend - with an even more powerful storm to follow Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. As there is still some uncertainty as to the track and other variables in this storm, a watch has not yet been issued, however you can likely expect one within the next couple days.

In even more news, the GFS ensembles (models used by meteorologists to forecast) are currently pointing toward an almost invariably white mid-range forecast - with a snowstorm almost every 36 hours for the next week or so - at least. It is too early to tell whether this will actually come to fruition, and in all likeliness it will not completely - but it is an encouraging step in the right direction as we all get ready to hit the slopes. However, at this point, do expect a wetter pattern to prevail for the next week.

Weather Forecast - 11/22: When in Doubt, Make Snow

The forecast is currently looking a little bleak for all of the local ski resorts, and even the west as a whole. Utah resorts like Snowbird and Alta have not gotten any new snow in the last 48 hours. Locally, Schweitzer got about four inches and 49 Degrees North got two.

As hinted at above, the forecast is currently not looking good, but there is a little room for some snow. Right now, it looks like mostly partly cloudy with seasonable temperatures until December 5th. That's when it looks like the storm door will finally open, with chances of snow on Thanksgiving weekend. The long term calls for below normal temperatures and precipitation throughout the next 7 days.

Meanwhile, Schweitzer is continuing its push into realms of the skiing and snowboarding world the inland northwest has never known. They flipped the switch on snowmaking equipment for the lower mountain on Friday. If you recall, Schweitzer increased its snowmaking capabilities last summer in order to make it through times like this. Snow is currently being made on Happy Trails, Schweitzer's beginner terrain and in the village. There is no word on whether the snowmaking equipment located on Midway run is currently being used, although we do know that if the temperatures allow and they keep the snow machines running 24/7 for the next couple days, we may have a slidable run - Happy Trails - that could be ready by Thanksgiving. Schweitzer's employee newsletter, The Bullwheel, does include an appeal for snow, but also November 28 marked as "projected opening date." We'll see how this plays out. One thing we do know is that if they are able to use the snowmaking to open, Thanksgiving weekend at Schweitzer will likely go down as one of the busiest in its history.

The Latest from Schweitzer

Breaking out the snowblower to battle to the 10" of snow Schweitzer received on Election Day... but why would you want to fight it?
Snow drifts @ 49 Degrees North
Snow behind the Selkirk Lodge. Not a bad start if you ask me.
Are you ready? There chairlifts are. The mountain is almost there.

What's 10 + 1 + (a few) ? It's how much snow Schweitzer currently has on the mountain. I called the Activity Center earlier today, and they told me, "it's really dumping up here right now." Of course, this is good news for all the resorts, so why not have a recap right here?

Silver Mountain is too proud of itself for putting in an indoor waterpark to publish a snow report, but their webcams show a fresh layer of snow, probably about 8".

49 Degrees North now has 9" of snow, as of this morning. As it's been snowing for the better park of the day, there's a good chance that there's a bit more than that by now.

Mt. Spokane has received a total of 12" with these storms, also as of this morning. Again, as it's been snowing off and on since this morning, expect these numbers to be more by tomorrow morning.

Election Day Snowstorm brings "a bunch" of snow to Schweitzer

This election day has been full of surprises so far, and now there's even more good news. According to the SNOTEL sensors in Schweitzer Basin, the mountain has received up to 6 inches of new snow out of an election day snowstorm. This is great news, and more snow is expected throughout the week, with a slight warmup over the weekend, and more snow over next weekend.

In other news, 49 Degrees North reported 5" of snow at the summit at 4:00 PM, as did Mt. Spokane at 11:30 AM. These totals may inflate slightly overnight. There are no new reports from Silver Mountain or Lookout Pass. But we'll keep you posted.

Fantastic Snow and Fun Events

With such wonderful snowfall (over 160 inches so far) and even more on the way, right now seemed like a perfect time to focus on the great events that the mountain has to offer for its skiers.
Tuesday, January 8th: Music on the Mountain, a hands-on experience to create some great music to enjoy on the mountain.
Wednesday, January 9th: Ski Movie Night - a ski movie is shown every Wednesday night in the village. Check at the Activity Center for this week's offerings.
Thursday, January 10th: Open Mic Night - Karaoke in the Taps Lounge for the few of us that are good - or confident - enough to try.
Friday, January 11th: Junior Race Series - Part 2 of the junior's race series hosted by the the Independence Ski Team.
Saturday, January 12th: National Trail Day - enjoy free Cross Country trail access and complimentary rentals for the day.

Also lots of snow is in the forecast. A Heavy Snow Warning is currently in effect for the Idaho Panhandle. Expect 6-12 new inches of light and fluffy powder by Wednesday - but at this rate it may be wise to expect even more. A new storm comes through Thursday with more heavy snow, and snow and snow showers continuing until Saturday - at least. The mountain makes a point in pointing out that we are on

Let it Snow, Snow, Snow!

Shot of the mountain as a whole with the village in the foreground.
Shot of J.R. with snow near the top of the mountain.
Shot of the Great Escape Quad with snow in the foreground...
Shot of the new Basin Express High-Speed Quad with snow on Stiles, Pend Orielle, and White Lightning.
Shot of the snow on Ridge Run with the Basin Express in the foreground.

Let it SNOW, SNOW, SNOW! Schweitzer has been blessed with many, many, recent snowfalls, and here are a bunch of pictures of those events. All can be found at schweitzer.com, which, as you remember, is unaffiliated with this blog.

FIRST SNOW

Schweitzer have received its first snow... on SEPTEMBER 20th! This is one of the earliest snows in recent years at Schweitzer. Schweitzer has an image posted, temporarily at the left (it will change when Schweitzer changes it). By the looks of it, they received up to an inch of snow. The top shows up to three inches. We'll keep you posted as more and more snow falls at the mountain!

Snow?!

Whoa! There's snow... on MEMORIAL DAY!! Yes, Schweitzer did receive snow on Memorial Day, but just guess how much... 3 inches of the fluffy white stuff. We'll keep you posted if they choose to reopen... just kidding! Also, no new construction photos, but we'll keep you posted!