Weather has been unpredictable this year in Central Oregon — and an early season dry spell significantly impacted both Mt. Bachelor and Hoodoo ski areas. Both delayed their opening days, but how does this season compare with others?

The Bulletin obtained data from both Mt. Bachelor and Hoodoo ski areas that reflects opening and closing dates for each season over the last 20 years. Most ski areas in the United States run winter operations for five to six months, typically from November through May.

The most desired opening date, which both Mt. Bachelor and Hoodoo strive for, is the day after Thanksgiving.

This season, Mt. Bachelor opened on Dec. 2, eight days later than planned. Mt. Bachelor delayed operations because the mountain did not have enough snow at the base to open safely for winter recreation.

Although the start date was later than anticipated, the data suggests opening dates in December — rather than November — are becoming more common for Mt. Bachelor, with opening days shifting more consistently to December over the last five years.

The start of the 2023-2024 season at Hoodoo on Jan. 10 is the latest the ski area has opened in the last 20 years, but it is difficult to extract trends from the Santiam Pass ski area’s opening dates over time.

Hoodoo’s average season length has remained steady, with an average of 127 days per season. Mt. Bachelor, a higher elevation resort, has a much longer average winter season of 180 days.

Hoodoo and Mt. Bachelor were adversely affected during the 2008-2009 and 2014-2015 seasons.

The latest date Mt. Bachelor opened for winter operations over the last 20 years was on Dec. 14, 2014, and that season, Hoodoo was open only 11 days.

Many meteorologists credit the 2023-2024 season’s rocky start to El Niño conditions. However, neither the 2008-2009 nor 2014-2015 seasons were during similar El Niño years.

Overall, Mt. Bachelor is more consistent in its opening and closing days over time. It also, on average, has longer seasons than Hoodoo. But Hoodoo and Mt. Bachelor have very different characteristics.

As a lower-elevation mountain (approximately 6,000 feet), Hoodoo typically won’t have enough snow to open until late December, when temperatures are consistently colder and it will close earlier in the season when spring temperatures warm. In contrast, the snow at Mt. Bachelor’s higher elevations (approximately 9,000 feet) lasts longer due to cooler temperatures.

Winter storms boost Central Oregon snowpack to normal levels for the season

There is no way to project when Mt. Bachelor will close this season, but the average of the resort’s closing dates suggests winter operations will end around May 24. Excluding outliers, the average for Hoodoo suggests it will close on April 14.

Central Oregon trail conditions: Fresh, wet snow on slopes