Our recent string of snowstorms is creating quite a buzz in and around Brundage Mountain. The question on everyone’s mind…will we open for Thanksgiving??? The answer to this mystery lies somewhere in the bright tones of this satellite image:Let me explain the best that I can…Right now (Wednesday AM) we have between 6-10 inches of snow sitting on various parts of the mountain. As our snow report shows, we’ve received a total of 16 inches this week. We have had some fluctuating temperatures and breezy conditions, and that snow has compacted down considerably. The forecast, however, looks very promising. It includes a good chance of snow this weekend, and that big pink blob on the satellite image appears to be headed our way. The one thing we don’t know is how much snow is in that blob and how much of it might fall on our beloved Brundage Mountain. There are a lot of factors involved, but it’s safe to say we need at least 12 more inches of snow by early next week in order to open for Thanksgiving Day. We also need it to be the right TYPE of snow. This is the one time of year we don’t really want to see light, fluffy powder. That’s not the best base-building snow. It would take a much greater quantity of snow if it is light and dry.

After we get the magical amount of snow, we can get our machinery on the slopes and begin packing and grooming the runs. That process takes about 48 hours. So right now, we’re crossing our fingers and keeping our eyes to the sky, because we would love to invite your family to spend Thanksgiving with ours! It’s a touch to soon to send out those invitations, but believe me, we’ll be in touch.

– April

Here are some photos to show you the state of the mountain right now:

If you’re looking at the flats in the base area, things look pretty good…

But you can see from this shot that the actual slopes need more snow.

From the top of the Blue Bird, it also looks covered, but keep in mind, that sign is sitting on dirt and wind has made some spots deep and others have thinner coverage. That’s even more evident below, where it’s obvious the steeper slopes need more snow.