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Ski resorts in WA are experiencing a snow drought

By and
Published  January 23, 2026 2:38pm PST
Ski Report
FOX 13 Seattle
WA ski resorts in snow drought

WA ski resorts in snow drought

A lack of snow is forcing ski resorts in our area to trim back operations. 

The Brief

    • Washington's mountain snowpack is well below normal, with most of the Cascades and Olympic Mountains at about 40% of average.
    • The Summit at Snoqualmie has limited terrain open, though its president says the season is not as bad as the worst years on record.
    • Other resorts, including Crystal Mountain and Stevens Pass, remain largely open but report thin coverage and ongoing snowmaking efforts.

While millions of people in the United States brace for snow this weekend, there is a clear lack of winter white over the mountains of Washington state.

Washington state snowpack map for Jan. 23, 2026.

Snowpack numbers are dismal. Most of the Cascades and Olympic Mountains are sitting at about the 40th percentile of normal.

We spoke with Guy Lawrence, president of The Summit at Snoqualmie, who said this is one of the most challenging seasons he has seen in his 30 years at the resort. 

While parts of the resort are open, including Alpental and Summit West, other areas remain on hold. Those include Summit East, Central and Silver Fir. In some areas, snow conditions are hard and refrozen.

Lawrence said snowmaking at Summit West is helping keep that area fresh and suitable for beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders. He also broke down how this season compares with others. 

What they're saying:

"I've seen two really bad seasons that were worse than this one by far," Lawrence said. "[2004-05] was a terrible year. I think we had 28 days of operation total. And from [2014-15] we only had 35 or 40 days. So, thankfully, this is not quite in that category."

We also spoke with Crystal Mountain. A couple of its main chairlifts are closed, but the majority of the lifts and terrain remain open. Grooming teams are working nightly to improve conditions. The resort also began snowmaking on a handful of runs Thursday and will continue as conditions allow.

On Instagram this past week, Stevens Pass said snow coverage on Mill Valley, the backside of the mountain, is becoming thin. The resort said groomed runs have compact snow that are skiing well.

The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle, the Summit at Snoqualmie, Crystal Mountain and Stevens Pass.

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