March Reports

The news, information and reports for March are now available for the Mt. Rainier NP photo guide. In short early March this year is a continuation of February, but it's not known if this will continue into mid-late March, at least in the lower elevations where spring will start as the snow melts.

The snowpack normally continues to increase through March and April into early May where it peaks and the snowmelt begins in the middle elevations and later in May in the upper elevations. A lot depends on the snowfall through this period and the spring weather, especially warming days.

The NP will continue in winter operations through March and April where the changes to spring into summer operations begins in mid-late May, usually the week before the Memorial Day holiday weekend, if not sooner if the snowmelts is sooner or quicker in some locations in the NP.

There will be more news on this later in March but really April. Otherwise, it's more of winter for now in the NP. No date has been annouced for the closure of the snowplay area at Paradise, but it's normally later into April or May when the snowpack recedes to a depth to support activities without hurting the underlying meadows.