Winter Hype Builds as August Snow Falls at Washington Ski Resort
The flakes are starting to fly.
At Crystal Mountain, Washington, this past weekend brought a light flurry with modest accumulation visible at higher elevations, namely the ski resort’s iconic Silver King peak. The snow’s since melted per the ski area’s webcams, but that’s not unexpected—the first snow ahead of ski season rarely sticks around for long.
While snow in August is far from unheard of in the mountains out West, Crystal did manage to beat its first snow from last year by a wide margin. Ahead of the 2025-26 season, it didn’t snow at Crystal until mid-October, although that storm brought more widespread accumulation. Crystal’s owner, Alterra, also noted in an email that the resort was the first Ikon Pass ski area to see snow this season.
Does an earlier flash of winter bode well for next season? We wish we had an answer. Regardless, it’s exciting to start seeing the mountains doing their thing.
You can also check out footage of the snow here.
Crystal also wasn’t alone. A few ski resorts in Alberta and British Columbia saw even more snow, including Kicking Horse, Banff Sunshine, and Lake Louise.
Kicking Horse
Despite the excitement, we’re still a ways out from the start of the ski season. Crystal hasn’t announced an opening day quite yet, but tends to open in late November, conditions dependent. Stevens Pass, another Washington hotspot, plans to open on December 4.
In the meantime, try to keep your head screwed on straight. There is a lot of hype surrounding the so-called “Super” El Niño—and it does load the dice for certain outcomes this coming season—but it isn’t wise to count your snowflakes before they fall. Every winter is unique, and the weather always brings some surprises. Hopefully they’re good ones.
Related: August Snowfall Transforms Canadian Ski Resorts as Opening Day Approaches
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