OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Hurricane Ridge snowplow crews made a dent in the 15- to 25-foot drifts in the parking lot at the snowplay area 17 miles south of Port Angeles on Saturday but were unable to clear it entirely, said a park ranger.
“There were still lots of drifts in the parking lot,” said Janis Burger, interpretive ranger at Hurricane Ridge.
Hurricane Ridge had a reported total snow depth of 123 inches, or more than 10 feet, on Saturday. Some 27 inches of new snow have fallen since Tuesday.
Road closed Saturday
The road to Hurricane Ridge was closed Saturday.
Whether it is open today depends on the progress the workers make this morning, Burger said, adding that the weather report is hopeful.
The National Weather Service has predicted partially sunny skies all across the North Olympic Peninsula today — including at Hurricane Ridge — and Peninsula temperatures in the low- to mid-40s, including 42 degrees at the Ridge.
Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club member Greg Halberg said it doesn’t look good for organized ski and snowboard activities.
“I don’t want to say for sure [that the rope tows won’t be operating today], but I’d be surprised if it does,” Halberg said.
A special event set for today featuring well-known extreme skier Glen Plake has also been canceled, Halberg said.
High wind last week
Hurricane Ridge lived up to its name last week, with five hours of wind gusts over hurricane force, including some to 98 mph, according to numbers recorded by the Ridge telemetry.
“That, along with the snow, produced some huge drifts — not unusual in a La Nina winter,” Burger said.
“Friday brought more wind and snow, with seven hours of winds gusting about 50 mph or above,” she said.
Areas that were plowed out Friday were covered again with 3 feet to 4 feet of drifted snow by Saturday morning, she said.
The most intense La Nina winter was in 1998-1999, Burger said.
The cumulative amount of snow over that winter was more than 60 feet, she said.
This year seems to be about average in water content of the snow, she said.
Studies through the end of February find that the Ridge has from 90 percent to 100 percent on average of snow-water equivalent, she said.
To see if Hurricane Ridge Road is open today, phone 360-565-3131.
