Update, Dec. 29: What a difference a week can make! Meadows, Timberline and Skibowl are all open for day and night riding, with one to two feet of fresh, creamy snow to enjoy depending on elevation.

After two depressing months of cold, dry spells alternating with warm, wet monsoons, the temperature finally dropped below freezing at 6,000 feet at 4 am on Christmas Eve, and snow began to accumulate at Mt. Hood Meadows, Timberline and Skibowl.

Since then the snow has fallen steadily on Mount Hood, and it has been nice and dry, without a trace of Cascade Concrete. Conditions were outstanding on Sunday, and parking lots filled quickly.

The base is up to 52 inches at 6,000 feet at Timberline, 45 inches at the base of Meadows, and 21 inches at the base of Skibowl. Meadows got 27 inches of snow in 48 hours.

With luck, the Upper Bowl, Heather Canyon and the Magic Mile will all be open soon. The forecast calls for very cold weather once the snow passes, with some high winds on the mountain.

Mt. Hood Meadows is running Easy Rider, Vista Express and Buttercup and opened Mt. Hood Express and Shooting Star for the first time on Christmas day.

Timberline is running Bruno, Molly’s, Pucci, Stormin’ Norman and Jeff Flood, with Palmer and the Mile on weather standby.

Skibowl is operating Multorpor and the Lower Bowl chair, and may open additional terrain soon.

All of the above represents a monumental turn-around, and not a moment too late. Meadows finally opened for daily operations on Monday, December 22, the resort’s latest season opener in 20 years. Skibowl was on the verge of bearing its second consecutive Christmas-to-New-Year’s stretch without running chairlifts. Even the year-round snow Mecca Timberline was running short on options.

Not any more. The Mount Hood snow season has gone from dismal to encouraging in a matter of days.

Last modified: December 24, 2014