Big snow breaks records

Spring has been delayed again, as a big storm brought cold air and precipitation to the Flathead last week, much to the delight of skiers and snowmobilers and the dismay of bicyclists and gardeners.

Officially, eight inches of new snow fell on Big Mountain on Friday, March 28, but both ski patrollers and long-time patrons of the ski resort marveled at the amount of snow covering the resort on Saturday.

Instead of finding pockets of deep powder on wind-loaded slopes, the entire ski area was blanketed with at least 18 inches of dry powder. For some, that was too deep, and a stream of vehicles was seen Saturday heading down the mountain by 11 a.m.

Several of those vehicles, however, ended up in the ditch before they made it down the refurbished Big Mountain Road. Road conditions in the morning were extremely slick for three days straight.

The new snow brought the season total at Whitefish Mountain Resort to 408 inches at the summit, breaking the 1996-1997 record of 406 inches. But the snow kept falling. By Monday, the season total had reached 421 inches.

The resort’s chairlifts, however, shut down after the last day of operations — Sunday, April 6.