Mt. Baker, Washington, Closes Temporarily Due to "Heavy Precipitation"

Originally posted on Powder | By Izzy Lidsky | Last updated Mar 24, 2025 2:24 PM ET

Things are heating up in the PNW, and not in a good way.

After an insane few weeks of snow, the tables have turned at several PNW resorts, including Mt. Baker. Baker saw 39" of snow during the last storm cycle and currently holds one of the deepest snowpacks in the country, with 541" of snowfall this season.

Now, the forecast is calling for two days of straight-up rain up at Baker, with temps potentially reaching into the mid-50s.

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An "atmospheric river" with heavy rain and wind is getting ready to hit the area on Monday, March 24, and Tuesday, March 25.

In anticipation of the less-than-ideal ski conditions, the mountain has decided to close for the next two days and wait out the rain. Mt. Baker currently plans to re-open on Wednesday, March 26, and will keep folks updated via their website and snow report.

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Mt. Baker has issued a Ski Area closed advisory on their website. The advisory reminds folks that during the closure, the entire area should be treated as a backcountry zone, and the risks of backcountry travel exist.

Avalanche mitigation is not performed while the ski area is closed, and avalanches may occur at any time. There will also not be any ski area medical response or on-site patrollers during the closure, and emergency responses might not be possible.

Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) has also given the area a High avalanche danger rating and does not recommend travel in avalanche terrain at this time.

If two days of rain isn't enough to deter you from skiing in those conditions, maybe the avalanche forecast will...

The forecast looks promising for early next week as the rain will hopefully turn to a "wintry mix" over the weekend and cool back down into snow by Monday, the 31st. Hopefully, Baker's whopping winter snowfall total isn't too affected by the rain, and the ski area can finish the season strong!

This article first appeared on Powder and was syndicated with permission.

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