Remember 2005?

^^^ get a room you two.

Oh man. I don't want another (2004) 2005. Road access to WA pass, Baker etc. might seem novel once or twice. But the novelty is gonna wear off if the reality is such that those places plus Paradise and maybe Hurricane are all that's skiable all winter. And they're all 100+ miles from Seattle, with >4$/gal gas to pay. No easy Alpy/Phantom dawn patrols to keep the jones alive, every ski trip becomes a day-consuming effort, and with short daylight to boot. No lifts worthwhile, or at least lifts only serve sad E-coast style strips of ice. Echh.
And FWIW a May stormcycle+open US20 is not so rare that you need an entire crappy winter to invoke it.

"This is not the forecast you seek"

2004 saw snow at t line late sept, with the lower lifts opening late october. Early snowfall=crappy mid winter. I think we are going to be all right.

There were good deals on gear that spring.

The long term forecasts are calling for a "wimpy" El Nino (paraphrasing Cliff Mass), and that being said, when in doubt, go higher (i.e. year round access to trailheads normally snowed in).

Gary - just use a snorkel while your head is down in the sand...

It'll snow. Hail Snorkel-Theory.