‘Skiers and riders are in for a treat’: Mt. Bachelor ‘elated’ by lots of long-awaited snow due this week
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- After a late start to winter and weeks of tantalizing and teasing storms that brought some, but not a lot of snow to the slopes of Mt. Bachelor - only to melt on warmer and rainy days - this week's storm is going to deliver what winter sports enthusiasts have been hoping and waiting for -- not just inches, but feet of fresh powder to play on.
"I don’t think I have ever used this word in a media alert, but I can honestly say we at Mt. Bachelor are elated to see FEET of snow in the forecast this week. 😊," Mt. Bachelor Communications and Community Relations Manager Presley Quon said Tuesday in an update to the media.
"With up to 52” of snow possible by Thursday followed by a clear, partly sunny weekend, skiers and riders are in for a treat," Quon wrote. "Snow is currently coming down hard, with an inch already accumulating on the snow stake since this morning."
She advised everyone to "check the webcams to watch the snow stack up, and refer to the Mountain Report for operations updates throughout the storm cycle. Teams will be working around the clock on storm recovery efforts and to expand terrain, as conditions allow."
However, that much snow in a matter of days has its share of risks that visitors need to be aware of, as Quon reminded.
"Be Advised: With heavy snow comes increased risk of snow immersion suffocation (SIS) and tree wells," she said. "Mt. Bachelor urges guests to ski or ride with a partner and keep them in sight at all times. Sticking to open, groomed trails minimizes SIS hazards. To learn more about deep snow safety, visit: https://www.deepsnowsafety.org/."
The National Weather Service has a winter storm warning in place for the east slopes of the Cascades and other areas of Oregon and Washington through 4 p.m. Thursday, with one to three feet of snow expected above 4,500 feet.
KTVZ's Local Alert Weather Team has issued a Local Alert Weather Day for Wednesday, with 1-2 inches of snow possible in Bend and larger amounts at higher elevations that could mean tricky winter travel for many.
