Heavy snowfall allows the Summit at Snoqualmie to open its doors open to all skiers

Fresh snow at the summit at Snoqualmie gave them the green light to open their doors. This is the moment skiers tell us they've been waiting for. Like a lot of people, we dream about it all summer long, you know, and all fall long too. My mom gave me the love of the mountain, you know, so I've been coming since I was real young and just look forward to it the whole entire time until this hits, you know, and now we're here. It was a busy day with skiers hitting the slope. Despite a late opening to the ski season at the summit, officials said they were waiting for the right amount of snowfall. This week was a bit of a rollercoaster with rain events earlier, but thankfully Thursday night we got about a foot of fresh snow, which really put things over the top and gave us enough to get open. Skiers enjoying their first day back said the wait was worth it. It's been great for first day, you know, it's not scrappy, there's stuff to push around. It's great. While some skiers tell us they've been coming out here for years and feel a sense of nostalgia, others were experiencing the summit for the first time. This is my first time actually ever, so this is actually a big learning curve from anything I've ever done. Crazy. Some skiers tell us they're excited for this ski season and being able to bring their kids out. We come up every year and it's just fun to see their progression of learning and getting out on this wonderful day and all the fresh powder. Officials at the summit say that because it's still early in the season, they recommend people to be careful when they're skiing because of the thin snow coverage. They ask skiers to look ahead and watch out for any hazards. In Snoqualmie Pass, Karina Vargas, KOMO News. A momentous day. All right. Well, officials said today that the slopes were only open to season pass holders. But for those of you wanting to get out, have some fun on the slopes, the summit will be open to everyone tomorrow. First it was the warmer weather, then the relentless rain, then the floods. Now more rain. Let's be honest, December has just been a doozy on the weather front. But the question tonight, what should you expect as we get closer to Christmas? Well, Komo's Theron Zahn has the outlook for you tonight. Northwest weather can give you whiplash. Within a week, we've seen overwhelming snow in the mountains melt away to cause a surge of flooding in the lowlands. It's all thanks to a rapidly changing snow level coupled with heavy rains. On Tuesday, December 5th, Sea-Tac Airport set a new record for daily rainfall with more than two inches of rain. So what comes next as we count down the final weeks toward Christmas? Well, the new 8 to 14 day outlook is out from the National Weather Service. It shows when it comes to temperatures, western Washington has a 50 to 60% chance of above normal temps through December 22nd. That could keep our snow level higher, which would be bad news for skiers trying to get this ski season going. When it comes to how much precipitation we could get, government forecasters say most of our area should be right around normal. With parts of western Washington with a 33 to 40% chance of above normal wetness. If these outlooks hold true, it could be a tough go at our ski areas for the next couple of weeks, but in the higher elevations, we should still make some decent progress on our snowpack. Theron Zahn, Como News. Winter driving conditions change rapidly across our mountain passes, so it's important to check the forecast and abide by all restrictions. For us, it's not a big deal, but we definitely do see other people who have a lot of trouble. I don't trust other people and I feel like if you have to chain, then it's probably pretty dangerous. And when chains are required, make sure you know how to put those on and know that they're the right size and properly working. Take a look at this photo Trooper Rick Johnson posted showing a driver who tried to use a USB cord to hold chains on the tire. Not acceptable. That driver was ticketed and not the only one. Trooper Johnson tells me State Patrol ticketed a total of 56 drivers for not chaining up as required during October and November, plus 99 truck drivers for not carrying chains as required starting November 1st. We checked the road conditions and we actually have plenty of supplies to be here with us in case something were to happen and we were to get stuck. Laura Pettit tells me Avalanche Control has left her sitting in the car for hours before so she knows not to leave home without being prepared. We actually have blankets and tons of extra food and plenty of water and things like that with us. She and her family are not expecting to get stuck this time, only celebrate her birthday with some sledding. It's breathtaking, that's where I'm truly speechless for that part. How good are you at sledding? Really good. I let Tallulah show me how good she was with a quick run down the hill. Her skills clearly beat mine. At Snoqualmie Pass, Denise Whitaker, KOMO News. KOMO News.