Local ski resorts are attempting to preserve their snowpack after consistent rainfall

Days of warm weather and rain have closed ski slopes as some resorts preserve what’s left of their snowpack and hope snowstorms forecast this weekend resurrect winter recreation.

The Spokane area saw one-half to three-quarters of an inch of rain from 2 p.m. Monday to 5 p.m. Tuesday. Wednesday saw nearly two-thirds of an inch in total, according to the National Weather Service. There was even more rain in the mountains, washing away the snow in Spokane and much of it in higher elevations.

Mt. Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park postponed opening as soon as it realized letting any skiers on the mountain would be dangerous. Packing the snow helped, but the 7 inches of rain Mt. Spokane saw within a period of 60 hours this week took the majority of that snow away.

The general manager of Mt. Spokane’s park, Jim van Löben Sels, said, “We still have a ways to go,” when it comes to getting that snow back.

The park needs 30 inches of snow at the summit to be able to open, and now it has 9 to 12. The loss of snow was somewhat expected, van Löben Sels said, with more moisture and warmer temperatures.

Not all hope is lost, though – Saturday and Sunday forecasts predict heavy snowfall in higher elevations.

Mt. Spokane’s park will likely open on Saturday or Wednesday depending on the snow levels, van Löben Sels said.

“We are still in a good spot,” he said. “We just need a little more snow to be safe.”

Schweitzer Mountain received 11 inches of new snow last weekend. Monday rolled around and the mountain was hit with 7 inches of rain, effectively dropping its snowpack levels.

The resort closed its lifts Tuesday and has been closely monitoring conditions, spokesperson Taylor Prather said, but she is “feeling optimistic.”

On Thursday, Schweitzer picked up 3 to 7 inches between the base and top of the mountain, and snow will gradually accumulate.

“The idea is to preserve what we can, and build it back up,” Prather said. The resort will continue its snowmaking efforts Friday in order to reopen on Saturday.

Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area in Idaho, east of Coeur d’Alene near the Montana border, also plans to reopen Saturday “if we get the snowstorm as intended,” spokesperson Matt Sawyer said.

Last Sunday, the pass had 10 inches of snow at the base and around 18 at the summit. After similar rainfall to the other mountains, Lookout lost 6 inches and then gained 4 inches back on Thursday – meaning the pass needs 2 more inches.

“It’s a shame,” Sawyer said. “It was a lot of rain.”

To open safely, crews must record 18-24 inches at the summit. The ground hasn’t frozen all the way, Sawyer said, and there aren’t any snowmaking systems on the mountain. It relies completely on natural snow and lower temperatures.

The pass is expecting 7 to 15 inches of snow before slowing down Friday, Sawyer said, and by Saturday it should be open for skiers and snowboarders.

The 49 Degrees North ski area reported 13 inches of snow at the summit, with plans to be open this weekend, according to its website on Thursday evening.

Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg is telling skiers that it expects to have snowfall Thursday and Friday, with plans to open chairlifts this weekend.