The ski area at Snoqualmie Pass is expected to reopen Friday, although just three lifts will be running on backup power.
SNOQUALMIE PASS, Wash. — The Summit at Snoqualmie ski area is expected to reopen Friday with limited operations after a powerful storm knocked out power to the area, though pass conditions could impact access to the pass.
The ski resort plans to open Summit Central at 9 a.m. on backup power. Central Express, Triple 60 and Holiday are expected to open.
Summit West will be closed Friday, and Alpental will be on hold until power is restored. Night skiing operations are also dependent on power being restored by the afternoon.
“We have been on a serious roller coaster the last few days,” the ski area said in its daily report.
The other factor that may impact operations: Pass closures. Interstate 90 had closed over Snoqualmie Pass Friday morning, with traffic in both directions stopped due to road conditions.
Summit at Snoqualmie closed Thursday after heavy snow and high winds caused a power outage across Snoqualmie Pass. On Wednesday at 9 p.m., Alpental recorded a 134-mph wind gust atop Denny Mountain, which is about 2,400 feet above Snoqualmie Pass. The pass recorded a 73-mph wind gust.
Separate from the power outage, Alpental was already closed Thursday due to Wednesday night’s heavy rain that saturated the snowpack. The ski area said avalanche control would do more harm than good and was likely to large slides with debris. The area planned to let the snowpack recover Thursday and reopen the area Friday.
Crews with Puget Sound Energy have been working to restore power to Snoqualmie Pass. As of 8 a.m. Friday, about 1,300 customers at the pass and near Easton remained without power.
The ski area said all unused lift tickets from Thursday would automatically receive an in-store credit within three to five days.
Snoqualmie Pass remains under a Winter Storm Warning through 5 a.m. Saturday with between 12 and 20 new inches of snow expected.
In the last 24 hours, Summit at Snoqualmie has received 20 inches of snow at Summit West, including 7 inches in the last 12 hours.
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