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WASHINGTON - Hopes for an early ski season at The Summit at Snoqualmie have taken a hit after this week’s atmospheric rivers drenched Washington’s mountains, washing away much of the snow that had started to accumulate.
A snowless hill at The Summit at Snoqualmie seen on Dec. 11, 2025, in Wash. (The Summit at Snoqualmie )
Despite early-season optimism — including October snowfall that reached all the way to the base of Alpental for the first time in five years — webcams from the resort on Thursday show mostly bare slopes. Only thin patches remain at mid-mountain at Alpental, and the beginner areas at Snoqualmie are now dotted with soggy piles of machine-made snow.
The Summit at Snoqualmie seen with only a dusting of snow on Dec. 11, 2025, in Wash. (The Summit at Snoqualmie )
The timing is discouraging for skiers and snowboarders who were hopeful after forecasters called for a La Niña winter, a pattern that typically brings colder temperatures and above-average mountain snowfall.
Opening day expectations were high, especially after the Summit posted on Oct. 12 on X that early snow at the Alpental base could be "a sign that we’re in store for a strong, snowy winter."
But the recent warm, heavy rain has erased much of that progress.
A snowless hill at The Summit at Snoqualmie seen on Dec. 11, 2025, in Wash. (The Summit at Snoqualmie )
According to Ski Central’s 10-year averages, the Summit at Snoqualmie typically opens around Dec. 12. With little natural snow on the ground and temperatures too warm for extensive snowmaking, the resort has not yet announced an opening date.
For now, skiers and snowboarders will have to keep waiting — and watching the forecast — as the mountains attempt to recover from this week’s washout.
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The Source: Information in this story came from webcams and social media posts from The Summit at Snoqualmie, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.