Snoqualmie Lifts Still Running Despite Cascade Power Outage

The Cascades saw heavy snowfall Tuesday night, and more of it is in the forecast. It’s a bonanza for skiers. But a power outage has affected some ski operations.

The weather has been causing problems for power lines at Snoqualmie Pass.

“They did try to establish power around 9:00 this morning. We had power briefly and we lost it again,” said Guy Lawrence, is marketing director for the Summit at Snoqualmie ski resort.

Speaking from his office, Lawrence said it’s all good. “Snow continues to fall and we are almost hitting records at this point,” he said. “So it’s looking very bright for this season.”

Lawrence said despite the power outage the resort is able to stay open thanks to a new backup generator.

“We’re actually for the first time ever able to operate some lifts at the base area purely on generator power, which we’re doing at Summit Central right now,” he said. “It does have some limitations but for the most part people are getting most of what they want, which is great.”

Meanwhile, Puget Sound Energy said its crews are searching for the cause of the outage. Once it’s found, workers will have a better idea of how much time before power is restored.

Skiers and snowboarders: fear not. More snow is on the way. And Lawrence said the resort has enough diesel to continue operations for several days.