Mt. Baker Ski Area To Close This Week, Snow In The Forecast
A storm that tracked across the far northern parts of the PNW and southern British Columbia gave Mt. Baker, Washington a nice refill after the long high pressure cycle much of the West has been stuck in.
More than a foot of snow fell at Mt. Baker between Wednesday, January 28, and Sunday, January 31, 2026. The ski area celebrated the new snowfall with live music, night skiing, and food through the weekend.
Unfortunately, the fun weekend at Mt. Baker precedes a not-so-fun week of work on the road leading to the ski area.
Highway 542, which goes from Kendall, Washington through Glacier and up to the mountain, will be closed east of Glacier starting on Monday, February 2, 2026. See below for Mt. Baker Ski Area's announcement.
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The Mt. Baker highway was damaged in December following the historic storms and flooding that impacted much of the Pacific Northwest. The road reopened after initial repairs in late December, ahead of the holidays to allow the ski area to open.
Mt. Baker Director of Mountain Operations Sam Llobet noted that the Washington Department of Transportation has done a 'fantastic job' of keeping access to the ski area open while roadwork continues. "We all want it done right, we all want it done safely, so we're gonna need to give them that time next week," he said.
Llobet promised an update by the middle of the week on a potential reopening of the road. Mt. Baker and WADOT are hoping to be able to reopen the road by Friday, February 6, but as of the time of the announcement, reopening on Friday is uncertain.
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Snow is forecasted to return to Mt. Baker on Saturday, February 8, with 21" forecasted between Saturday and Tuesday, February 10. Longer range forecasts have even more snow on the way for Mt. Baker and (thankfully) other parts of the PNW.
Highway 2 between Skykomish and Stevens Pass and through Tumwater Canyon, Washington, was also damaged by the flooding in December. The road reopened near Steven's Pass after a few weeks of one-way traffic and closures, but remains closed for repair through Tumwater Canyon.