(Mt Baker in a snowier year...)
The ski resort that holds the world record for receiving the most snow in one season is currently closed due to lack of snow cover, and may post its worst ever season.
Mt Baker in Washington state, Western USA, regular receives 750 inches (62 feet/19 metres) of snow each season on average and in the winter of 1998-1999 set a world record when it received 95 feet (29 metres) of snow through the season.
This winter is looking to be another record breaker for the wrong reasons though, with Mt Baker unable to open until December 20th and currently unable to operate due to inadequate snow cover. The resort has a third of its normal snowpack for this time in the season.
"This year we've shovelled snow, hauled snow, mined snow, pushed snow, and groomed snow all over the mountain to the best of our ability in order to keep things in good shape in skiable conditions," said a resort statement, "But we're going to suspend operations temporarily until we get some more snow. Maybe we need about 6-12 inches more, and we'll be right back in operations."
Sadly the new snow doesn't look likely any time soon as temperatures have been up in double figure Celcius in recent days.
The warm weather and lack of snow, caused by a Pacific weather pattern, has impacted the entire West coast of North America all season and at times stretched in land as far as Colorado, Utah and Alberta where rain has occasionally fallen in areas where temperatures and normally at double digits below freezing and powder snow is the norm. Many smaller ski areas have been closed along the coast, including Cypress Mountain near Vancouver in BC, the 2010 Olympic venue, while larger areas have had less terrain than normal open.
There was some respite ion the last week on February and first week of March in some areas with heavy snow in parts of California and Colorado.