Washington State (not to be confused with Washington DC, the capital of the USA) is located in the far northwest corner of the United States. It shares a common border with British Columbia (Canada), Oregon and Idaho.

Due to it's wetter and coastal climate than California, Utah and Colorado and its off-the-beaten track appearance it has largely avoided the big-development and over tourism that as arguably plagued these states. This becomes most clear when you visit resorts such as Mt Baker and Crystal Mountain in Washington.

Seattle is easily Washington's largest city (note the capital is Olympia, not Seattle). Located right on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, Seattles skyline is dominated by snow capped Mount Rainer and city skyscrapers. It truly is a spectacular setting. It is well worth stopping off in Seattle for a day or so. Seattle is located only 3 hours from Vancouver Canada making it an easy day trip.

Mountains, Snow and Weather

The major mountain range in Washington are the Cascade Mountains. These mountains are in fact volcanic and this was clearly illustrated with the explosion of Mt St Hellions in 1980. The Cascades are also home to Mt Rainer, the tallest mountain in the range and an extremely popular tourist destination. However, in terms of snowboarding the mountains you will be interested in will be Mt Baker and Crystal Mountain.

In terms of snowfall, there is absolutely and definitely no shortage of snow. The Cascade Mountains repeatedly break records in terms of the amount of snowfall and typically average well over 10 metres (34 feet) of snow a year. Often the resorts are forced to dig their lifts out to allow them to run!

The Cascade mountain range that runs north/south through the state maintains a dominant maritime weather system to the state with cool wet winters and mild summers. The Rocky Mountains in the east insulate Washington from the super cold weather that the plains state such as Montana, the Dakotas, and Colorado often endure.

Thanks to the massive quantities of snow received in Washington resorts, Washington state is a freeriders paradise.

Last updated on 01 November 2004.