Bachelor Delays Opening; Mt. A, Shasta Early Start Hopes Have Melted

How quickly things turn -- a couple weeks after the region's ski areas were eagerly swimming in snow, now they have none.

The Mount Bachelor ski area likely will delay its planned Friday opening because of warm weather and a lack of snow. And a belated Thanksgiving opening at Mount Ashland appears all but impossible now.

The Mount Bachelor ski area's Web site reported 2 inches of snow at the base and 3 inches at midmountain Monday. Redmond Airport reported a high of 75 degrees Monday, 9 degrees above the previous record for Nov. 17 set in 1976.

Ski area spokesman Frank Labbe says it would take a couple of feet of snow to get the ski area open, and that's not likely.

Snow is not in the forecast until Thursday. Mt. Bachelor opened on Thanksgiving Day last year.

While Mount Ashland officials a couple weeks ago predicted they might open on Thanksgiving Day this year, a couple weeks earlier than is typical, the snow they saw then has since melted and the mountain is currently bare. The mountain's website now says "a November opening is unlikely."

Some snowfall is predicted in the next few days, but nothing heavy.

Mount Shasta also has no snow and has set a tentative open date for Dec. 10.