The season opening excitement Saturday at Mt. Bachelor ski area lasted only a day before heavy rain and warm temperatures forced a closure that is expected to last until Friday.

After blizzard-like conditions Saturday, the ski area suspended operations Sunday with the promise to reassess conditions when the weather changed. The goal was to limit disturbance to the snow in hopes of preserving the highly saturated snowpack. With continuing rains through Monday morning, officials decided Tuesday to extend the closure until Friday.

“I want the mountain to be open as much as anyone, and I am proud of our team for doing everything we can to preserve our base,” said John Merriman, president and CEO of Mt. Bachelor. “With one of the longer seasons in North America, we are definitely in a marathon, not a sprint, and will do what we can now to ensure fantastic skiing and riding for the rest of the season. I can’t wait to be skiing again on Friday with some fresh snow.”

The ski area was originally slated to open Nov. 24, but that was delayed due to concerns over low snow levels. While the storm last week gave the mountain several feet of snow, the rain significantly impacted snow levels at the base.

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“We lost about a foot of snow from our base due to rain, and the snow is currently extremely saturated, but the latest storm should put us in a great place to reopen and start expanding terrain here soon,” said Lauren Burke, spokesperson for Mt. Bachelor.

The weather forecast indicates Mt. Bachelor will receive colder temperatures and snow beginning Wednesday and moving into Friday morning, with the potential for another storm on Saturday.

The ski area hopes to reopen Friday with Little Pine and Sunrise lifts, but staff will continue to monitor conditions until then.