Mount Washington is experiencing déjà vu.
Thinking back to December almost seems like a dream. Four metres of snow in less than a week, close to ten metres of snow in a month. Powder days seemed more like a right than a privilege. La Nina was in fine form.
Was it real or wasn’t it? Apart from the news reports, pictures and video evidence proving the reality of the snow events over a month ago, you would probably assume it didn’t actually happen. Why? Because January happened.
“January was a no-show in the weather department,” states resort spokesperson Brent Curtain. “Everybody was waiting for another blast from La Nina but the weather patterns went on hold.”
January was calm and nondescript, especially following blustery and unbelievable December. It snowed a bit, it was warm and sometimes cold, there were inversions, there were clouds, there was fog, and there was sunshine. This cycle of weather blah lasted for the best part of five weeks.
Apart from some great mountain events and periodic sunshine, skiers and boarders were beginning to wonder...where did La Nina go? Was she asleep? Would she come back? Then, out of nowhere, came Feb. 12.
The snow report read 28 centimetres of new snow in 24 hours. Most people in the lift line that morning were thanking patrol for under-reporting. Mid-mountain, the snow piled deep, up to 75 centimetres on some slopes. Then for five days straight it snowed like it was December. La Nina awoke from her January slumber and delivered close to two metres of snow by February 16th. Island riders were stoked.
With a mid-mountain base rapidly climbing past the five-metre range, Mount Washington announced an extension to their winter season at the end of last week. Originally slated to stay open until April 10, the mountain will now open daily to April 10 and then reopen for extended long weekends from April 15-17 and again from April 22-25.
“The snow is piling up again, just like it did in December,” Curtain explains. “So we’re happy to be able to extend the winter season just like we did last season.”
The 2009-10 season at Mount Washington was the second deepest on record and enabled the resort to extend operating hours and dates in April 2010. With a current snowbase that just passed the five metre mark, the resort expects to have more than enough snow to make April another memorable one for spring skiing.
For more information on winter activities and to see the complete event schedule for Mt. Washington, visit mountwashington.ca.