PORT ANGELES — Rain is forecast for Hurricane Ridge this week as a warm front moves in and replaces the region’s snowfall with water, even at high elevations.
The National Weather Service is forecasting rain at elevations as high as 6,000 feet, significantly higher than the 5,242 feet at the Hurricane Ridge parking lot.
“Snow level 5,000 feet rising to 6,200 feet after midnight,” said NWS’s Thursday night forecast for the Waterhole monitoring area, approximately 7 miles southwest of Hurricane Ridge at an elevation of 5,010 feet.
“New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible,” the forecast said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s SNOTEL snow level data for Waterhole at Hurricane Ridge reported 34 inches of snow on Thursday. That’s down from the season’s peak snow level of 37 inches on Sunday. The report showed 30 inches of snow on Tuesday before rising to Thursday’s levels.
The Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club, which operates the ski area at the ridge, has said it needs at least 3 feet of snow, 36 inches, before operations can begin. The club’s snow crew was able to assess the ridge last Friday but said there the snow amount and condition wasn’t enough to begin operations for the season.
Crews will assess the ridge again today, said Danielle Lawrence, a volunteer with the winter sports club, but based on the forecast, she didn’t think conditions would allow for the season to begin.
“Miracles can happen, but it’s not looking good at the moment,” Lawrence said. “With the rising temperatures and rain in the forecast, I don’t foresee us being open this weekend.”
Lawrence did say the rain may help in the long term by consolidating what snow is at the ridge and creating a better base for the crews to operate. The sports club held a fundraiser at the Field Arts & Events Hall in Port Angeles on Thursday with a screening of the snowboarding film “Flying High Again,” and Lawrence said the club had pre-sold more than 200 tickets online.
But with rain forecast at least through next Wednesday, it was hard to say when operations might start at Hurricane Ridge.
“Things aren’t looking too good for us, that’s for sure,” Lawrence said. “Do your snow dance.”
Hurricane Ridge Road has been closed since Tuesday and Olympic National Park has said it will open the road Friday, weather permitting.
Some areas of the North Olympic Peninsula reported light snow showers Thursday, but rain moved in over the day.
It was forecast to remain at least through Sunday and likely into next week.
The NWS has rain forecast for Forks, Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend through at least next Wednesday with daytime temperatures in the mid-40s. Overnight lows are forecast as low as 34 degrees.
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Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at peter.segall@peninsuladailynews.com.
