BEND, OR -- If you plan to hit the slopes over New Year's weekend, be sure to check the conditions first. Warm temperatures and rain are hallmarks of El Nino, and they’re wreaking havoc on mountain resorts. Snowpack around the state remains well below what's considered typical for the start of winter.

Timberline will have its lowest snow base for a New Year’s Eve in almost 35 years. It's about 50" below average for this time of year. Conditions at nearby Mt. Hood Meadows have also been less than ideal. It plans to start two more lifts Friday, but officials say opening the newly constructed Leitner-Poma lift will have to wait for more snow.

In Central Oregon, Mt. Bachelor has yet to open four of its lifts. "We need a major winter storm to open Northwest, and to open Summit and Outback," Bachelor's Lauren Burke recently told KBND News, "We’re getting there. But we need another couple feet in order to get some of that upper mountain and westside terrain open."

Outside Sisters, Hoodoo Ski Area has yet to open its season. Webcams from the mountain show numerous bald spots, with little snow at the summit. Hoodoo’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration was canceled due to lack of snow. 

Photo: Hoodoo's Easy Rider webcam shows bare dirt; Friday morning, 12/29/23