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April showers bring nearly 5 feet of snow to Mount Baker

Stormy weather covered Whatcom County

Five-foot-tall Mac Trowbridge stands on a run that was groomed on the night of April 4. The snowbank shows how much snow had fallen in less than a day.
Five-foot-tall Mac Trowbridge stands on a run that was groomed on the night of April 4. The snowbank shows how much snow had fallen in less than a day. (Photo courtesy of Amy Trowbridge/Mount Baker Ski Area)
By Hailey Hoffman Visual Journalist

The only April fools are those who haven’t hit the slopes at Mount Baker this week. Since Sunday morning, at least 59 inches of snow have dumped on Mount Baker Ski Area.

Typically, at this point in the season, Mount Baker is preparing for their annual Easter egg hunt and to close up shop as the snow melts off the mountain.

With local kids on spring break and other ski areas struggling, people from across the region headed for Whatcom County’s premier ski area for the fresh powder.

“What a PNW spring break — shredding 2 feet of pow,” marketing manager Amy Trowbridge said.

The ski area does not plan to extend its season beyond its scheduled April 24 closure. 

photo  Snow buries a van in the Heather Meadows parking lot on the afternoon of April 5. The van parked there on the evening of April 4. (Photo courtesy of Amy Trowbridge/Mount Baker Ski Area)  

The fun of skiing deep powder comes with the danger of tree wells and snow suffocation. The ski area encourages skiers and boarders to keep partners in sight and stay away from the tree runs.

The Northwest Avalanche Center is warning backcountry skiers of high avalanche danger with the fresh snow. They expect conditions to get even more dangerous during the week as the weather warms, loosening the snow. 

The storm also impacted the lowlands of Whatcom County, bringing dumping rain, hail, sleet, 60 mph wind gusts and thunderstorms.

Nearly 50,000 customers lost power throughout the Northwest on April 4, the Associated Press reported. 


Lines were knocked down and buildings sustained damage from the intense winds. Fourth Corner Frames’ exterior back wall collapsed Sunday night in the storm.

photo  The exterior back wall of the Fourth Corner Frames and Gallery crumbled on Sunday night during a bout of intense wind and rain. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)  

 

As of Tuesday, the storm impacts were subsiding, leading to drier, warmer spring weather on Wednesday and Thursday. On Thursday, some areas might reach near 70 degrees.

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