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Crystal Mountain WA ski resort
Ikon PassView resorts
Tier E — Deep timing play — aim late winter

📷 Crystal Mountain WA

North America

Crystal Mountain WA

Closed for the season

Season ended May 26, 2026

Conditions data updated Fri, Aug 28, 10:02 AM UTC · informational only

Closed for the season — closed May 26

Weather data is still collected for informational purposes.

Last Snowfall

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Past 24 Hours

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Past 48 Hours

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Past 10 Days

0cm

14-Day Forecast

0.2cm

Snow Depth

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🎿

Powder Days

11

2026–27 season

Updated: Aug 28, 10:02 AM•Weather at base: 1341m

Overview

Crystal Mountain WA is a ski resort in North America, United States, currently closed for the season (Season ended May 26, 2026). Conditions last updated 2026-08-28 10:02 UTC.

Resort Guide

Crystal Mountain is located in Washington’s Cascade Range, offering the largest ski area in the state with over 2,600 acres of terrain and 80 named runs. The resort features a mix of beginner to expert trails, modern lifts including the Mt. Rainier Gondola, and panoramic views of Mount Rainier. Visitors can enjoy a vibrant alpine village atmosphere, on-mountain dining, and year-round activities, making it a standout destination for both skiing and mountain recreation.

Resort Info

Summit2134m
Base1341m
Vertical793m
Lifts11
Runs85
Skiable Area2600 acres
Average snowfall486 inches / 1234 cm
CountryUnited States
Visit Resort Website →Follow on Instagram →

Season dates

Season endedMay 26, 2026
Projected openingDecember 4, 2026

Future dates are operator estimates and may change.

Ski passes

Ikon Pass

Ikon Pass

View resorts →

Access tiers change by season — confirm benefits on the pass operator's site.

Top Après Ski

Snorting Elk Cellar – A beloved après-ski spot located at the base of Crystal Mountain, the Snorting Elk Cellar is renowned for its cozy alpine ambiance, extensive craft beer selection, and lively social scene, making it a favorite gathering place for skiers and snowboarders to unwind after a day on the slopes.

Snow Summary

2134mECMWF Model

Updated Aug 28, 2026 at 10:02 AM

0cm
24h
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Past 10d
14-Day Forecast
0
Prev10d
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Now28
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S29
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S30
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M31
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T1
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W2
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T3
Past
Today
Forecast

Snowfall Forecast Maps

Pacific Northwest & BC region

Current Conditions

Reported Fri, Aug 28, 10:02 AM UTC

Depth by source

every reading we have
  • SNOTELBase 0cm

The headline depth uses the most trusted available source. We show every reading so you can judge for yourself.

Base

1341m

Temp

6.6°C

Wind

4.2km/h

Snow Depth

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14-Day Forecast

0.2cm

Mid-Mountain

1738m

Temp

--°C

Wind

5km/h

Snow Depth

--

14-Day Forecast

0.2cm

Summit

2134m

Temp

1.5°C

Wind

4.2km/h

Snow Depth

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14-Day Forecast

0.1cm

El Niño Outlook · Winter 2026-27

Crystal Mountain WA El Niño rank & forecast

Crystal Mountain WA ranks #359 of 488 SnowSure resorts — Tier E, −10% in strong El Niño winters.

Tier E — Deep timing play — aim late winter: Strong El Niño winters ran clearly below this resort’s own baseline (≤ −8%). Still skiable — schedule late season; one storm cycle can beat the climatology.

#359 of 488Tier E — Deep timing play — aim late winter

Strong-event signal: −10% vs this resort's 30-yr avg

In the three strongest El Niño winters on record ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24), Crystal Mountain WA averaged -10% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline. Historically this is a timing play rather than a reason to stay home: aim for late winter (February–March) in winter 2026-27. Analog winters: '97-98 -22%, '15-16 -15%, '23-24 +7%. A pattern, not a promise.

'97-98 −22%'15-16 −16%'23-24 +7%

Signal = average snowfall in the three strongest El Niño winters since 1996 ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24) vs this resort's own 30-year ERA5 baseline. n=3 — a lean, not a law. Updated monthly against measured snowfall Dec–Mar.

Full El Niño report →

Live Conditions

Crystal Mountain WA Webcam

All Webcams

Resort Webcam

1 webcam • Click to expand

Local Reports

0 reports
SnowSure™ Forecast Range

Daily Snowfall Forecast by Model

Black line = verified SnowSure™ blend (not a simple average). Weights update weekly from measured snowfall at SNOTEL stations and resort reports.

SnowSure™ blend — verified model weighting

The black line is not a simple average. For Crystal Mountain WA (cascades), we combine seven global weather models using weights learned from daily forecast verification — comparing each model's prediction to measured snowfall (SNOTEL, resort reports, ERA5).

  • 1.Horizon buckets: days 1–3, 4–7, and 8–14 each get separate weights — short-range skill differs from long-range.
  • 2.Regional calibration: weights come from verified error in this geography (Rockies, Alps, Japan, etc.), recalculated weekly.
  • 3.Ground truth only: we never grade a forecast against another model — only against measured snow.

Building verification history for this resort.

How we verify forecasts →

Hourly Forecast Detail

AM / PM / Night breakdown with wind and freezing level

NWP models refresh up to 4× daily · Last synced Aug 28, 10:02 AM

Hourly Forecast Detail
 
Today
10 / 10.6mm
Sat, Aug 29
6 / 00.3mm
Sun, Aug 30
9 / -2
Mon, Aug 31
17 / 30.3mm
Tue, Sep 1
11 / 31.5mm
Wed, Sep 2
6 / 10.8cm6.6mm
PeriodAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNightAMPMNight
Snow (cm)000000000000000000.8
Precip (mm)00.30.300.3000000.3000.31.202.73.9
Temp (°C)510326139191557104332
Wind (km/h)613713187613448351247115
Gusts (km/h)214124415328213917143625234233304330

14-Day Snow Forecast by Model

Summit elevation (2134m)

ECMWF
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GFS
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GEM
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JMA
0.6cm
ICON
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Météo-Fr
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SnowSure™
0.2cm

10-Day Forecast

Today

28

🌧️

10°

1°

14 km/h

Sat

29

🌧️

6.4°

-0.1°

19 km/h

Sun

30

☁️

9.2°

-2.2°

14 km/h

Mon

31

🌧️

16.6°

2.5°

11 km/h

Tue

1

🌧️

10.6°

3°

12 km/h

Wed

2

🌧️

5.5°

0.9°

12 km/h

Thu

3

🌧️

6.7°

0.7°

8 km/h

Fri

4

🌧️

2.1°

0.7°

13 km/h

Sat

5

🌧️

6.3°

0.7°

10 km/h

Sun

6

☁️

14.5°

-0.7°

9 km/h

Summit elevation (2134m) • ECMWF model

Avalanche

Off-season — no rating published

Northwest Avalanche Center

Watch for signs of unstable snow such as recent avalanches, cracking in the snow, and audible collapsing. Avoid traveling on or under similar slopes.

Read the official bulletin ↗

SnowSure relays the official avalanche bulletin and does not issue avalanche forecasts. Read the full bulletin at the issuer’s link and make your own terrain decisions. Not a substitute for avalanche education, equipment, or local knowledge.

Getting There

Drive times & access

1 camera nearby

Official map ↗

Drive conditions

Quiet — No winter restrictions — typical off-season pavement

No chain controls or closures on the highways SnowSure watches near Crystal Mountain WA. Late-season / summer readings are not a winter forecast. The resort road status and the official DOT map are authoritative — re-check before you drive.

SnowSure take, grounded in live DOT sensors. Not the resort's road status.

Highway cameras near Crystal Mountain WA

Mt. Rainier road camera
Mt. Rainier24.4 km · WSDOT

Live highway sensors & cameras within ~30–40 km, via WSDOT. Conditions on the drive, not the mountain — the resort's own road status is authoritative. Always re-check before a winter drive.

Season vs Historic

Updated Fri, Aug 28, 10:02 AM UTC

0cm

Season Total

This Season to Date

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vs 5-Year Avg

Off-season · 666cm full-season avg

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vs 30-Year Avg

Off-season · 596cm full-season avg

666cm

5-Yr Avg by Now

The last completed season totaled ~606.1 cm. That's 9% below the 5-year average (666 cm). Versus the 30-year baseline: near the 30-year average (596 cm).

Crystal Mountain WA Snow History

Average annual snowfall is 673cm with an average of 141 snowfall days per season. The table below shows monthly averages across 30 seasons of archive data (modeled snowpack at mid-elevation).

Average monthly snowfall history
MonthAvg SnowfallSnowfall DaysAvg Base DepthMax Base DepthBiggest Snowfall
November94.8cm18 days28cm64cm19.8cm
December145.9cm22 days91cm134cm25.5cm
January130.3cm21 days145cm179cm24.1cm
February103.2cm20 days176cm208cm22.1cm
March95.7cm21 days200cm228cm17.5cm
April52.7cm17 days191cm214cm11.4cm
May17.7cm9 days127cm172cm5.9cm

Source: SnowSure archive · Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis at mid-elevation. Depth is modeled, not resort-reported.

Season at a Glance

Next season(2026-27)

Opens Dec 4, 2026

Multi-season averages will appear once SnowSure has tracked more than one full season.

ENSO seasonal analog

History · not a forecast

In 10 past El Niño winters at Crystal Mountain WA, ERA5 season snowfall median was 551 cm (217 in), about 20% below this resort’s long-term median. This is a historical analog from reanalysis — not a prediction of this winter’s storm track.

Prevailing ONI

El Niño

MJJ 2026 · ANOM +1.39°C

Analog season median

551 cm

10 El Niño winters · 20% below median

All-season median

691 cm

Across 30 ERA5 seasons (2026-27)

PhaseSeasonsMedianp25–p75Recent analogs
El Niñocurrent10551 cm487 cm – 662 cm2023, 2019, 2018, 2015, 2014, 2009
La Niña12738 cm659 cm – 865 cm2022, 2021, 2020, 2017, 2011, 2010
ENSO-neutral8742 cm626 cm – 801 cm2025, 2024, 2016, 2013, 2012, 2003

Season snowfall from Open-Meteo ERA5 reanalysis (~9 km). ENSO phase from NOAA CPC Oceanic Niño Index. Relative phase differences are more trustworthy than absolute cm totals. Source: NOAA CPC Oceanic Niño Index + Open-Meteo ERA5 via SnowSure season archive.

Best Months to Visit

February

Peak Season

January

Peak Season

March

Good

December

Good

Note: Based on typical ski season patterns for this region.

Back to All Destinations

Frequently asked questions about Crystal Mountain WA

Where is Crystal Mountain WA?
Crystal Mountain WA is a ski resort in the United States.
How high is Crystal Mountain WA?
Crystal Mountain WA runs from a base elevation of 1,341 m (4,400 ft) to a summit of 2,134 m (7,001 ft), giving a vertical drop of 793 m (2,602 ft).
How big is Crystal Mountain WA?
Crystal Mountain WA has 2,600 acres (1,052 hectares) of skiable terrain, 85 marked runs and 11 lifts.
Which ski pass covers Crystal Mountain WA?
Crystal Mountain WA is on the Ikon Pass. Access terms such as blackout dates and day limits vary by pass tier, so check the pass operator for the current season.
When is ski season at Crystal Mountain WA?
Crystal Mountain WA typically operates from December to May. Exact opening and closing dates shift each year with snowfall — check the resort's current season dates before booking.
How much snow does Crystal Mountain WA get in a typical season?
Crystal Mountain WA averages 486 inches / 1234 cm of snowfall in a typical season. Any individual season can run well above or below that.
How will El Niño affect Crystal Mountain WA in winter 2026-27?
El Niño Signal Rank: #359 of 488 SnowSure resorts · Tier E · strong-event signal -10% vs its own 30-yr average. In the three strongest El Niño winters on record ('97-98, '15-16, '23-24), Crystal Mountain WA averaged -10% versus its own 30-year snowfall baseline. Historically this is a timing play rather than a reason to stay home: aim for late winter (February–March) in winter 2026-27. Analog winters: '97-98 -22%, '15-16 -15%, '23-24 +7%. A pattern, not a promise.