La Nina was in full force in November. The snow was falling fast and furious, the temperatures were below normal and Mount Washington opened ahead of schedule. It was the kind of early season dreams are made of.
Then something strange happened, La Nina went on holidays.
“Since opening on Dec. 2, we've had one of the sunniest, driest Decembers on record,” explains resort spokesperson Brent Curtain. “That's not what you would expect from a La Nina weather pattern. It's been a great start for fairweather skiers and boarders but not the best for the powderhounds.”
Looking at the forecast, it appears the sunny and dry conditions are going to change pretty quick and it definitely looks like La Nina's holiday is coming to an end. According to snow-forecast.com, snow is expected to fall moderately beginning this afternoon with heavy accumulations expected through Sunday.
“It looks like we may get another epic Christmas Eve like last season,” says Curtain.
Going back to last year's Christmas holiday, Mount Washington received a whopping 1.5 metres of snow on Christmas Eve. The snow in the forecast isn't expected to arrive in the same epic proportions that it did last year, but new snow is more than welcome for the holiday season.
“The new snow will put a nice frosting on the trees and turn the resort into a winter wonderland just in time for Christmas – thanks Santa!”
The conditons will be perfect for Mount Washington's holiday events over the next two weeks:
• Dec. 23 Carols by Candlelight
• Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Service
• Dec. 26 Pepsi Torchlight Parade and Fireworks
• Dec. 31 New Year's Eve Celebrations.
If you're looking for a white Christmas, Mount Washington is the perfect location. For more information on the holiday events, check out the full event calendar at mountwashington.ca.
– Mount Washington Alpine Resort