We got maybe 2 inches last month in Portland and it melted within hours. My kids have this fantasy of sledding but it's not really happening here. What do you all do for winter weekend activities if you're not in a snowy climate? We've done the usual (indoor play places, pools, etc) but looking for something with a little more... I dunno, adventure?
Also Portland area. We're basically embracing that winter here is just wet, not snowy. Hiking in the rain, puddle jumping, hitting up indoor places more. Mt. Hood is only 90 mins away if you want to hit actual snow for a day trip.
Ice skating is legit more fun than sledding imo and you don't need snow. There's probably an indoor rink in Portland somewhere? Our kids would choose skating over sledding any day.
Your kids would probably go absolutely feral for a day trip up to Mt. Hood when there's snow. They can sled, you can sit at a lodge with coffee. We do it like 2x a winter and it's worth it just for the sledding fix.
The Mt. Hood suggestion is clutch. We drove up one day when there was like 6 inches and it felt like a whole different world. Kids got their sledding fantasy, we drove home that night. Perfect winter day.
This might sound random but winter hiking is actually awesome in Portland. Muddy as hell but the trails are empty and it's a legit activity. My kids thought it was cooler than sledding once we got them into it.
How far out are you driving? We're trying to figure out if it's worth the gas money for one afternoon of sledding.
Same climate here. We do a lot of: splash parks in summer (rainy winters make them less fun obviously lol), bowling, indoor trampoline parks, movies + dinner. Adjust expectations for your climate instead of chasing snow that won't happen.
Same situation in Seattle basically. We just embraced it and do sledding at the ski resorts on their tubing hills when we can make a day trip. It's not free but the kids get their sledding fix and at least the snow is guaranteed.
Timberline is like 90 mins from Portland. We made it work but honestly it was a long day. If your kids are young you might just do the roller skating thing and save the mountain sledding for years when they'll actually remember it.
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Indoor roller skating rink? That's been our winter go-to. Kids love it, it's indoors so weather doesn't matter, and they actually get tired. Plus Portland has a couple decent ones.
We did the day trip sledding thing last year and it was worth it. Just get up early, make it a whole event. Kids didn't care about the drive once they were actually sledding.