The Summit at Snoqualmie is the closest ski area to Seattle, less than an hour up the interstate, and made up of four separate base areas along the Snoqualmie pass. That proximity is the point. It is the mountain that Seattle uses after work, with one of the largest night skiing operations in the United States and a substantial share of the terrain floodlit.

The snow is coastal and heavy and the pass sits low, so conditions vary a great deal with the freezing level and rain at the base is possible. Check before setting out. The terrain is mostly gentle and intermediate across the four areas, with Alpental holding the serious ground for people who want it.