North Idaho ski resorts thriving

Despite much of North Idaho seeing more rain than snow so far this season, the local ski resorts are covered in snow.

“We are having a fantastic year so far,” said Sean Mirus with Schweitzer Mountain. “We opened before Thanksgiving with the most terrain in the last 10 years and had one of the snowiest Novembers. ... There has been a couple of warm, wet days, but all in all conditions are fantastic.”

As of Saturday, Schweitzer reports close to 12 feet of snow on the mountain, with at least 6 more inches falling Friday night.

“I think some people are happy it’s snowed so much up here but they haven’t had to plow in the valleys,” Mirus said.

Currently, 100% of Schweitzer’s terrain is open to skiers, Mirus added.

Silver Mountain Resort is reporting similar conditions, with fresh powder falling regularly even as lower elevations are seeing rain.

The resort’s website reports 5 feet of snow at the summit, with at least 15 inches falling in the last 24 hours. The continual supply of fresh snow makes for optimal shredding conditions.

“For all the powder enthusiasts out there, we have 75 trails open for you to explore,” the mountain’s daily update reads. “Plus, 30 trails have been freshly groomed to perfection, creating the ideal conditions for a fantastic day.”

To the east, Lookout Pass has seen at least 10 inches of fresh snow over the past 24 hours, as their season total climbs closer to 200 inches.

“It’s snowing with awesome conditions, both crisp powder and corduroy,” read Saturday’s snow report.

All five lifts at Lookout Pass are running, and 49 trails are currently open.