High winds close Mt. Ashland for the day - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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High winds close Mt. Ashland for the day Saturday Jan 7, 2017 at 9:22 AM Jan 7, 2017 at 9:22 AM Local report The Mt. Ashland Ski Area is closed today due to high winds. Ski area managers said they made the call after reviewing a National Weather Service winter weather advisory that said high winds are not expected to subside until 4 p.m. At 9:15 a.m., the ski area's website was recording winds of 28 to 33 mph, 21-degree temperatures and it was snowing. In a release, General Manager Hiram Towle said, “Safety is our number one priority and there is no way we could safely run the lifts in this weather. Even Comer chair that is somewhat protected had chairs swinging three feet. We will get the crews in early Sunday to dig out for another powder day.” The ski area managers urged backcountry travelers not to attempt to access the mountain due to whiteout conditions and potentially hazardous road conditions on the Mt. Ashland Ski Road. The ski area received another 2 inches of snow overnight, bringing its total snowfall for the season to 138 inches. Snow depth on runs ranged from 61 inches on the lower mountain to 78 inches on the upper mountain.