Two Feet of Snow Forecasted for Washington and Oregon Ski Resorts

The Pacific Northwest will score a meaningful storm cycle from Tuesday through Thursday afternoon (March 26-26, 2026).

The north Cascades and Whistler are the clear winners. Mt. Baker is set up for 18-25 inches in this period, Whistler looks closer to 10-13 inches, and Stevens Pass and Timberline land in the 5-8 inch range. Crystal Mountain stays lighter at 4-6 inches, and Mt. Bachelor remains mostly on the edge of this storm.

The setup starts warm and windy on Tuesday, so the first turns come with denser snow and higher snow levels, especially south of the Canadian border. Colder air settles in on Wednesday and Wednesday night, improving snow quality and sharply lowering snow levels.

Confidence is strongest from Tuesday morning through Thursday afternoon, then the pattern turns quieter through the weekend before another lower-confidence Pacific wave tries to return late Sunday into next week.

Keep reading for a resort breakdown.

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Ski Resort Forecast: March 24-26, 2026

• Mt. Bachelor, Oregon: 1-2 inches
• Crystal Mountain, Washington: 4-6 inches
• Stevens Pass, Washington: 5-8 inches
• Timberline, Oregon: 5-8 inches
• Whistler, British Columbia: 10-13 inches
• Mt. Baker Ski Area, Washington: 18-25 inches

Storm Timing and Discussion

Guidance is converging well on the timing of the main cycle and on the snow-level trend. Snow reaches the north Tuesday morning, expands Tuesday afternoon and night, then turns colder on Wednesday into early Thursday as snow levels fall from roughly 4000-7000 feet down toward 1000-2500 feet. Guidance is also converging on a windy Tuesday, especially at Timberline, where exposed gusts push 60-75 mph, and along the Washington ridgelines, where gusts reach 30-40 mph. The bigger spread is intensity, not arrival time.

That intensity spread is widest in the north Cascades, but every scenario still keeps Mt. Baker on top. A realistic outcome is 18-25 inches there by Thursday afternoon, with Whistler around 10-13 inches and Stevens Pass closer to 5-8 inches. Baker starts with very dense to heavy snow on Tuesday, then improves into more moderate snow on Wednesday as colder air settles in. Stevens Pass also benefits from the colder Wednesday night piece, while Crystal Mountain stays lighter at 4-6 inches, and Snoqualmie Pass remains temporarily closed even though it picks up a modest midweek refresh.

Farther south, guidance is converging on a weaker Oregon outcome and diverging only on how much extra snow hangs on late Wednesday into Thursday. Timberline has enough snow for soft turns, but much of the first push is wind-affected and dense, with better quality arriving later in the storm. Mt. Bachelor stays on the edge of this cycle at only 1-2 inches, so it is not the place to chase this round.

Daily Chase Recommendations

Each day's snowfall range combines the previous night (4 p.m.-8 a.m.) and that day (8 a.m.-4 p.m.).

Tuesday, March 24

• Mt. Baker is the best Tuesday target with 6-8 inches of new snow, very dense to heavy quality, and manageable wind for the deepest refresh in the region.
• Whistler is the other worthwhile Tuesday chase with 5-6 inches of heavy to moderate snow and cooler surfaces than the Washington Cascades.

Wednesday, March 25

• Mt. Baker remains the top Wednesday call with 9-13 inches, heavy snow early, turning more moderate as colder air settles in, and a much deeper stack than anywhere else.
• Whistler still works on Wednesday with 4-6 inches and improving snow quality, but gusts near 40 mph will leave some upper terrain wind affected.

Thursday, March 26

• Mt. Baker is still worth Thursday laps with 4-6 inches of moderate snow, lighter wind, and the best carryover base from the midweek cycle.

Extended Outlook

Friday through Sunday looks mostly dry and milder across the region, which should preserve the midweek snow best on higher north-facing terrain. Guidance then diverges late Sunday through next Wednesday on timing, coverage, snow levels, and totals as another Pacific wave tries to return. The north remains favored first, with Whistler and Mt Baker carrying the best odds for the next meaningful reload, while Oregon depends on whether the wetter scenario verifies. Expect a warmer start and denser snow if that next wave comes together, with conservative outcomes of a few inches to around a foot in the north and lighter amounts farther south. Wind signals in that later stretch are less organized than in the midweek storm.