Winter in Manson, Washington starts in November, with snowfall usually occurring before Christmas and around New Years day, then tapering off in January and February. Lake season snow happens, but it is rare. Most of the snow stays on the mountains around Lake Chelan. Beautiful to look at, and not troublesome for driving or shoveling. Of course, every 5-6 years we get significant amounts of snow from days of snowstorms that leave up to 2′ on the ground. But the roads get plowed clean and the sidewalks get shoveled and in no time its no trouble at all.
There’s great family fun at Echo Valley Family Ski Area, with sledding and tubing in addition to downhill skiing. Just a bit further up the road and higher in the hills there is great cross county skiing at Echo Ridge, with miles of groomed trails and sunny skies above the clouds below. The Lake Chelan Nordic Ski Club is a terrific source of information for cross country enthusiasts.
The are also miles and miles of groomed trails for snow mobiles to roam. The Lake Chelan Snowmobile Club can tell you when, where, and how to enjoy the great outdoors in the winter.