It’s beginning to look a lot like winter.
Thus far, the forecasted La Niña weather pattern is paying dividends in Northwest Montana. As of Nov. 25, Whitefish Mountain Resort reported a settled base depth of 46 inches at the summit of Big Mountain. Eleven years have elapsed since the ski hill reported this much preseason pow, when skiers enjoyed 52 inches of settled summit snow on the first day of the 2013/14 season.
While the extended forecast from the National Weather Service doesn’t call for any major storms between now and the resort’s opening on Dec. 5, daily smatterings of fluff are expected to accumulate. Subfreezing temperatures are also predicted to hold, so the mountains should retain the snowfall it’s received.
Meanwhile, a steady stream of winter sports enthusiasts are already making the trek to the top of Big Mountain for their well-earned first turns. Unbridled whoops of delight piercing through the fog and ice-encrusted timber affirm the weather reports: the season is off to a sublime start.
For more photos, see the gallery.