By Rod Hill on 2014-04-23
This week's hours of steady rain in the metro valley has been welcome snowfall on Mt. Hood, as resorts near the end of the 2013-2014 winter season. Skibowl has closed for the season, Mt. Hood Meadows will end daily operations this Sunday, but continue 3-day weekend openings into May and Timberline will, as always keep limited runs open into the summer season.
This past week as seen 2 feet of snow at 6,000 feet and another 1 to 2 feet could fall through Thursday morning! Lower elevations at pass level have seen 8-12 inches of new snow, although rising temperatures today will improve travel conditions and transition snow to rain at Government Camp. All total, the test site on Mt. Hood reports a snow depth of 128 inches, which would melt into 57 inches of water. The totals are considered 95 percent of average to date. The snowpack typically builds on Mt. Hood through May 1st and begins the summer season melt off by mid-May if not before.
Snowfall the last few days has built the Timberline Lodge base to 158 inches, which is to the inch the amount of snow on the ground one year ago. Total snowfall for the season is down, but only slightly from the 2012-2013 season. To date, Timberline reports 468 inches of total season snowfall, compared to 520 inches one year ago.
We all know, this Cascade snow season got off to a slow start, but since February, the snow numbers have been impressive! Dave Tragethon with Mt. Hood Meadows, says resort traffic was slow through January but has been average since the February snows began. A final day of operations at the resort scheduled for May 17th is actually later than last year. Tragethon says, he always reminds people the Mt. Hood snow season is a marathon not a sprint. In terms of climatology, the 2013-2014 season will go in the books as near normal, with plenty of water stored on the mountain.
Be sure and enjoy what may be the last big shot of heavy mountain snow, before the season transitions into summer. As always, check the Mt. Hood Ski Forecast page for latest conditions and links to your favorite resorts.
April Outlook Update