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The other Cascade ski areas are waiting to see how much snow falls before making a decision to open.
In British Columbia, Whistler Mountain also will open Friday.
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for today and Thursday in the Cascades. The forecast for Crystal Mountain is for more than 3 feet of snow by Thursday night, with snow showers through the weekend.
On Tuesday, there was just more than a foot of snow in Crystal’s Green Valley.
“It’s a bold move to announce the opening date before we have enough snow,” said marketing director Tiana Enger. “But we are pretty confident that the weather will produce enough snow over the next couple days to put us in really good shape for a limited opening on Friday.”
If enough snow falls, the Mount Rainier Gondola and Green Valley chairlift will operate from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday. Lift tickets will be $35.
Additional terrain will open as the snowpack builds, Enger said. They hope to open Discovery, Chinook Express and Forest Queen Express chairlifts Saturday.
Whistler Mountain is opening Friday, six days earlier than planned. The Emerald Express, Big Red Express and Franz’s chair lifts and the Creekside and Whistler Village gondolas will be open 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Blackcomb Mountain is scheduled to open Nov. 24.
At White Pass and The Summit at Snoqualmie, they are in a wait-and-see mode.
“(Today) is a pivotal day for all of us in the industry,” said Guy Lawrence, marketing director at The Summit.
“We’ve got a nice shot of snow on the ground right now, but we’re just not at the point where we can open just yet,” he said.
White Pass spokeswoman Kathleen Goyette said, “We’re going to wait and see what accumulates over the next couple of days before we make the call.
“Should people be on standby and have their skis waxed and ready to go? Absolutely, but there’s no guarantees at this time.”
To the north, Mount Baker is waiting until this afternoon before making a decision about Friday. Stevens Pass officials said Monday they need another 20 inches of snow before they can open.
Jeffrey P. Mayor: 253-597-8640
jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com
blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure
