Have some mountain powder with your turkey

Courtesy photo Gavin Blue Izzard, 15, of Coeur d’Alene, catches some air Sunday at Silver Mountain.

A skier descends toward the lodge at Lookout Mountain. (Photo by TONY HARRISON)

by Maureen Dolan Staff Writer
| November 22, 2017 12:00 AM

A skier descends toward the lodge at Lookout Mountain. (Photo by TONY HARRISON)

This holiday weekend, North Idaho skiers will have their choice of mountains to visit.

Lookout Pass, the first Northwest ski area to open for the season, has been welcoming skiers and snowboarders on weekends since Nov. 4.

Lookout will reopen Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, and remain open through Monday, Nov. 27.

The mountain on the Idaho-Montana border off Interstate 90 received 8 inches of fresh snow Monday at the base and 10 inches of new snow at its summit. With a 16-inch base and 32 inches at the summit, the surface is machine-groomed, packed powder that is changing with the current weather. There will likely be 14 trails open for the holiday weekend. Two lifts will be running. For current conditions, call 208-744-1301 ext. 3, or visit skilookout.com.

Schweitzer opened Nov. 17, its earliest opening in 20 years, and reopens Friday, Nov. 24, for the weekend. The Sandpoint ski resort’s base ranges from 27 to 39 inches. The mountain will reopen Friday, Dec. 1, with its full seven-day schedule. For more info, visit schweitzer.com.

Silver Mountain, in Kellogg, opened for weekends Nov. 17 and will also reopen Friday, Nov. 24. With surface powder, Silver Mountain has a 30-inch base at Kellogg Peak and a 22-inch base mid-mountain. There are 46 trails open, 14 groomed. For more info, visit silvermt.com.

Lost Trail Powder Mountain, on the Montana-Idaho border off U.S. 93 between Missoula and Salmon, will also reopen Friday, Nov. 24. With a 22-inch base and powder surface, five trails are open along with two chair lifts and the rope tow. For more info, visit losttrail.com.

There’s more good news for skiers, too: The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center issued a La Niña advisory Nov. 9 for the Northern Hemisphere. The report says the ocean-atmosphere phenomenon has a 65 to 75 percent chance of continuing at least through winter 2017-18. Idaho experienced a La Niña winter last year, with the wettest October-June on record.

For more information about skiing throughout Idaho, visit skiidaho.us.