Inland Northwest sees robust early season snowpack: ‘Get out here and enjoy it sooner’
Spokane-area ski hills are enjoying a significant early season snowpack as the 2023 winter season blitzed the region with storms and cold weather.
“You know, since COVID started, we’ve had incredible interest in outdoor winter recreation, snowing, skiing or snowshoeing and all that,” said Jim Van Löben Sels, the general manager of Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park. “Having snowfall early on, people can get out here and enjoy it sooner.”
Early October precipitation and decreasing ground temperatures allowed Mount Spokane to start accumulating snow in mid-November, giving the ski hill a significant head start on the winter sports season.
“We’re sitting at about 60 inches for the first of the year, which is great. And last year, we only had, like, 35 inches at this time,” Van Löben Sels said, “last season we opened on the 17th of December, and this year we got to open on the third.”
Spokane International Airport recorded nearly 34 inches of snowfall already this year, compared to 17.1 inches this time last year, reported Ken Daniel, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Spokane.
The early snowpack is the ninth highest out of the last 41 years measured on Jan. 4, said Steve Lentini, an Avista principal hydro-operations engineer.
“We like seeing a good snowpack,” Lentini said. “How the water affects our hydrogeneration really depends upon the weather over an entire water year.”
While early season snowpack has been abundant so far, it is hard to predict whether the streak of winter storms and snowfall will continue, Van Löben Sels acknowledged.
“We’ve just had cold storm after cold storm, which has been incredible,” Van Löben Sels said, “although it’s mother nature in control, and we never know what we’re going to get dealt. The cycle that we’re seeing right now definitely shows cool weather and lots of precipitation and snow.”
As the cycle of ideal winter sports weather continues, Van Löben Sels encouraged those looking to participate in a lifestyle sport such as skiing to take advantage.
“The thing exciting for us is, we’re that beginner-intermediate mountain, we’re seeing interest in not only the day scheme, but we’re one of the larger nightstand areas,” Van Löben Sels said, “Come out and enjoy the snow and bring your family.”