Reported (December 12th, 2019)

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Current Summit Weather

Summit (6,817 ft./2,078 m)

Terrain Status

Lower Mountain (4,464 ft./1,361 m)

Deep thoughts by Josh*:

-10:00 AM Update-

While the snow stake was reading 2 inches this morning, its riding like more than that! Smooth buttery snow on top of pristine groomers, and some great pockets of the soft stuff to be found all around the mountain is making for a great Thursday, and with more snow in the forecast, it's only going to get better!

-8:00 AM Update-

It's coming down hard here at the base of the mountain, and from what I can tell, it's coming down even harder up top! It's shaping up to be an awesome day here! The fog has been in and out here at the village so make sure you bring the low light lenses for your goggles today, and the wind has been blustery up top so don't forget to layer up. YeeHaw! It's time to ride some powder!! We'll see you on the slopes!

-6:00 AM Report-

It's snowing here on Big Mountain! Who doesn't love waking up to fresh snow on the ground coming into the weekend?! With a winter weather advisory in effect, and new snow predicted to keep coming down over the next couple days, it's shaping up to be a fantastic weekend of powdery turns and smiles! It looks like all of that snow dancing has started to pay off! Keep it up, grab some friends and come on up to enjoy some sweet sweet powder!

As always, please be aware of early season conditions and in-bounds closures. Keep an eye on the this snow report throughout the day for updates on terrain openings and closures as reported by ski patrol.

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Notes for Today:

· Chair 1 is open for uploading and downloading. The last ride up is at 2:30 and we will be downloading throughout the day.

· Please give extra time at the end of the day to download on Chair 1 as there can be a high volume of skiers and riders.

· Russ's Street is open only to the bottom of Chair 5

Please respect in-bounds closures. While our crews are working hard to provide as much rideable terrain as possible, these closures are here for your safety and are strictly enforced by ski patrol.

New this season: parking in the Dogwood lot on Friday, Weekends and Holidays is free if you carpool with 3 or more people. Share the ride to the mountain with some buddies and save some cash!

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Additional terrain and lifts may become available during the day and/or by the weekend as determined by ski patrol. Should conditions permit, snowmaking operations will be running in locations around the mountain which will be roped off for safety. Remember it’s your responsibility to KNOW THE CODE including observing all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.

While the snow may be getting deeper, be aware that early season conditions still exist. There are stumps, rocks and other natural hazards out there so use caution.

Note to uphill skiers, hikers or persons otherwise: Due to concern for public safety and low snowpack on the front side of the mountain, officials at Whitefish Mountain Resort and the Flathead National Forest agree that a temporary closure of uphill skiing is necessary until the resort receives more snow. Conditions will be assessed daily and uphill travel will resume as soon as trail and snow conditions allow.

Flathead Avalanche Center's current advisory.

*This snow report is one person's subjective assessment of conditions at a single moment in time. Actual snow accumulations can vary widely across the varied terrain of this mountain. Topographic features such as exposed faces, saddles, and sheltered areas, as well as wooded zones and even just the aspect of where the slope is facing will greatly affect how much snow settles there. Please also note that the statistics of this report are input by 6 a.m. each day with various "story" updates throughout the morning. Always check with Ski Patrol if you need more information before you decide where you're going.

Today's Open Lifts

*Chair 5 & Chair 8 may occasionally have delayed openings due to avalanche control work. This list reflects the lifts that are scheduled to open today. Openings and hours are subject to change due to changing weather conditions and the safety of our guests.

Today's Run Status

Show:   - All Runs | - Groomed | - Easier | - More Difficult | - Most Difficult | - Most Difficult - Use Extra Caution

Chair 1 - Big Mountain Express

Chair 2 - Swift Creek Express

Chair 3 - Tenderfoot

Chair 4 - Great Northern

Chair 5 - East Rim

Chair 6 - Base Lodge

Chair 7 - Big Creek Express

Chair 8 - Hellroaring

Chair 9 - Easy Rider

Chair 11 - Flower Point

Bigfoot T-Bar 2

Big Easy Carpet

Terrain Parks

Treewell Safety

Skiing and snowboarding off the groomed runs and in deep powder snow is one of the most exciting and appealing parts of our sport. If you decide to leave the groomed trails, you are voluntarily accepting the risk of falling into tree wells or deep snow and suffocating.

A deep snow or tree well accident occurs when a rider or skier falls into an area of deep unconsolidated snow and becomes immobilized. The more the person struggles, the more entrapped in the snow they become. Deaths resulting from these kinds of accidents are referred to as a NARSID or Non-Avalanche Related Snow Immersion Death. Fortunately, these types of accidents are preventable.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO PREVENT TREE WELL & DEEP SNOW ACCIDENTS

This abbreviated information is from http://www.deepsnowsafety.org. Please visit their website to learn more about tree well safety.