Washington ski season outlook for Super El Niño

After last winter's disappointing snow, could a Super El Nino put a damper on yet another Washington ski season? We visited Crystal Mountain, where an early taste of fresh powder is raising hopes of a comeback. As we know, last season was a little bit lackluster, but as we've seen over the last couple of weeks and months, plenty of preseason snowfall, and that's getting us really excited for the upcoming season. At Crystal Mountain, fresh snow at the base, and there's even more you can't see from here. Ryan McClary says at least a foot has already piled up on the upper mountain. We typically need two to three feet to safely open for the season. Last winter, limited snowpack and early spring-like weather limited how much terrain Washington ski resorts could keep open. Crystal saw fewer visitors and cut ticket prices. Now, the forecast for a Super El Nino is raising concerns about another dry winter. Crystal Mountain has seen a couple of Super El Ninos over the past number of decades, and for both of those seasons, we saw over 400 inches of snowfall. And so we're gonna be prepared for whatever winter brings. Whatever the weather brings, Crystal wants to entice more newcomers to the slopes. Its new beginner progression pass costs about 700 bucks. That includes three days of rentals, lessons, and lift access. Complete those three days, and you get a season pass for the rest of the winter. It's an exciting new way to get people into the sport, and we're really hopeful that it will bring more people up to the mountain. And Crystal Mountain wants to pass a few reminders along ahead of ski season. Right now, ski patrol is not on duty. No avalanche control is yet underway either. So as crews prep for the season, please respect all closures and active work areas.