49 Degrees North
2,325 acres, 89 runs near Chewelah. Uncrowded eastern Washington powder, Indy Pass access.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
30 Dec 2026
Closes
25 Apr 2027
Days open
116
Annual snow
229in
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
49 Degrees North's summit reaches 5,774 feet, dropping 1,850 vertical feet to a base at 3,924 feet across 89 runs spread over 2,325 acres near Chewelah, Washington. Terrain splits 40 per cent intermediate, 30 per cent beginner, 26 per cent advanced and 4 per cent expert, with average annual snowfall of roughly 229 inches. The resort carries Indy Pass affiliation. Seven lifts, including one quad chair and five triple chairs, serve the mountain alongside one surface lift.
The resort's substantial acreage relative to its lift count gives skiers plenty of room to spread out, a hallmark of eastern Washington's less crowded resorts compared with the busier Cascade mountains closer to Seattle. Its light, dry powder and extensive tree skiing have built a loyal regional following. The mountain sits within the Colville National Forest, offering a genuinely rural setting relative to Spokane, its nearest city.
Winter recreation on Chewelah Peak began in 1935 when the Forest Service issued a permit, with Cy's Hut completed the following year and a rope tow installed in 1939. A two-story Chewelah Mountain Lodge and a double chairlift followed in 1950 and 1951, driving a surge in visitors, but by 1968 the original area closed due to an obsolete chairlift and deteriorating facilities. On 6 May 1970, the newly formed Chewelah Basin Ski Corporation won approval to develop a resort in a basin roughly two miles east of the old site, opening for public use in late 1972.
The ski area filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 1990. Local resident John Eminger purchased the resort in June 1996 and operated it for the next 23 years, before selling in spring 2019 to CMR Lands LLC, led by Seattle-area businessman Tryg Fortun, whose group also owns Silver Mountain in Kellogg, Idaho, purchased three years earlier. Adult daily tickets run from 79 to 99 US dollars, with season passes from 699 dollars.
1,850ft
Vertical
89
Runs
2,325 acres
Skiable
229in
Annual snow
Indy
Pass
The Terrain
89 runs across 2,325 acres skiable
49 Degrees North covers 2,325 acres (941 hectares) near Chewelah in the Colville National Forest, rising from 3,920 ft (1,196 m) at the base to 5,770 ft (1,760 m) on Chewelah Peak for a vertical of 1,850 ft (564 m). The 89 runs split 30% green circle beginner, 40% blue square intermediate, 26% advanced and 4% expert, and a modest 229 inches of snow falls in a typical winter. Six chairs and a surface lift keep the layout simple, and the acreage means lines stay uncrowded.
The mountain is built around two peaks, Chewelah Peak and Angel Peak, with three basins feeding the lifts, and three main lifts meet on Chewelah Peak itself. Wide groomed runs sit alongside moguls and hundreds of acres of tree skiing, which is where the terrain really earns its reputation after a storm. Black diamond skiers get glades and bumps rather than cliffs, so it suits families, intermediates and tree skiers more than extreme riders. Anyone heading to the Inland Northwest and chasing quiet powder days should put it on the list.
Terrain split
89
runs
89 runs across 4 grades
Beginner27 runs · 30%
Intermediate36 runs · 40%
Advanced23 runs · 26%
Expert4 runs · 4%
Time it right
When to visit 49 Degrees North
The 2025-26 season at 49 Degrees North ran from 6 December 2025 to 13 April 2026, a roughly nineteen-week season supported by average annual snowfall of around 229 inches. This snowfall total, combined with the resort's substantial acreage, supports a comfortably long season without excessive crowding even during peak periods. Season dates can shift depending on early and late-season weather.
Midwinter, from December through February, typically brings the most consistent conditions to the resort's varied terrain. Given its location roughly 50 miles from Spokane, 49 Degrees North draws primarily from eastern Washington and the Inland Northwest rather than national destination traffic, keeping crowds notably lighter than Cascade resorts closer to Seattle.
As an Indy Pass resort, 49 Degrees North draws some visiting skiers holding that multi-resort pass in addition to its core regional base. Nordic trails are included as part of the resort's broader offering beyond alpine skiing. School holiday periods bring increased family visitation given the resort's substantial beginner and intermediate terrain.
Specific event programming beyond standard operations is not confirmed in available resort information. Since CMR Lands LLC's 2019 purchase, investment has continued to build on the foundation established during John Eminger's 23 years of ownership from 1996. The resort's spacious, uncrowded character remains its clearest point of differentiation from busier Washington resorts.
Season 2026 - 2027
30 Dec 2026
Opens
25 Apr 2027
Closes
116
Days open
229 in
Annual snow
The record
Historical snowfall at 49 Degrees North
Daily snow reports at 49 Degrees North go back to 2025, 2 winters on the books. Open the record to compare winters, lifts and piste.
9 in
Snowiest day
20 Feb 2026
0 in
This winter · 2026-27
so far
27 in
Typical winter
average of complete seasons
Winter totals
in
Past wintersThis winter
Getting there
Getting to 49 Degrees North, and where to stay
49 Degrees North sits in the Colville National Forest near Chewelah, Washington, with a base elevation of 3,924 feet and a summit at 5,774 feet across a 1,850-foot vertical drop over 2,325 acres. This eastern Washington location places the resort within the Selkirk Mountains, distinct from the Cascade Range that hosts most of the state's other ski areas.
Chewelah is the nearest town, offering local lodging and dining, while Spokane, roughly 50 miles to the south, provides more extensive services and supplies much of the resort's weekend visitor base. The broader Colville National Forest offers additional outdoor recreation beyond skiing throughout the year.
US Route 395 connects Spokane to Chewelah, with local roads then leading the final distance into the Colville National Forest to the resort. Winter driving conditions on these routes can include snow and ice, though the route is well used given the resort's role as the region's primary ski destination. There is no direct public transport service to the mountain.
Spokane International Airport is the nearest airport with substantial commercial service, roughly an hour's drive from the resort. This makes 49 Degrees North reasonably accessible for visitors flying into the Inland Northwest, though most skiers are regional locals driving from Spokane, Chewelah or the surrounding communities.
Where to stay
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49 Degrees North Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 12 Nov 2026
5,774ft
summit
+0in
new snow · last 24 hours
Overcast36°F / 45°F · E 13mph
Snowfall
24 hours
0in
48 hours
0in
7 days
0in
Base depth
0in
Season total
0in
Typical winter 27in
Total lifts7
Live open status isn’t available right now.
30 Dec 2026 - 25 Apr 2027
Hour by Hour
Next 48 hours· Updated Nov 13, 2026 at 5:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
5,404 ftUpdated Nov 13, 2026 at 5:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
1.5"
Days 8–14
0.0"
Fri, Nov 13
Foggy
Temp45° / 36°°F
Snow0.0"(8%)
Wind13 mph E
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the 49 Degrees North snow report
Get the latest 49 Degrees North snow report — real-time snowfall, snow depth, and mountain weather for this Washington resort, spanning 1196m to 1760m in elevation.
Snow measurements
Snow depth at 49 Degrees North is tracked at both the base and summit, since the two elevations often see different totals — roughly a 564m difference here. We report fresh snowfall over the last 24 hours and 7 days alongside the running season total, in both metric and imperial units.
Weather conditions
Snow quality tracks closely with temperature and wind. We surface both alongside the snowfall data so you can judge whether conditions at 49 Degrees North are holding up or starting to soften.
Data sources
We pull 49 Degrees North's conditions from on-the-ground mountain reporting, then layer in forecast data so you get a fuller picture than either source alone. The mountain is served by 7 lifts, including a quad chairlift.
When to check
The biggest swings usually happen right after a storm. Check 49 Degrees North's report in the morning for the freshest numbers, and again in the afternoon as conditions evolve.