COMOX VALLEY -  Staff at the Mount Washington Alpine Resort say conditions on the mountain remain favourable despite having received several days of rain this week. Spokesperson Brent Curtain says only between 5 to 10cms of snow has been lost and the runs remain healthy due to the significant base that was built up last November. 

Some of the cross country runs through Strathcona Park have been closed but the mountain is continuing to operate with all of the alpine runs on the front part of the mountain. 

West Vancouver's Cypress Mountain closed it's facility to the public on January 13th to preserve runs that will be needed for ski and snowboard events for the 2010 Olympics. Curtain says Washington's reservations centre has already been receiving inquiries from skiers on the Lower Mainland looking for ski alternatives because of the closure to avoid crowds during the Olympic games.

Mount Washington is enjoying one of the deepest bases in North America, currently sitting at 244cms and Curtain says more snow is in the forecast for this coming weekend.