The next 10 days should be among the busiest periods this season at Tahoe ski resorts.
We are heading into President’s Day weekend, meaning the Lake Tahoe slopes will be packed with skiers and snowboarders for three straight days. And don’t expect ski resorts to clear out for the remainder of next week. Lake Tahoe schools are off (Feb. 19-23) and so are some Bay Area schools and multiple Placer County schools as well, in what used to be known as “Ski Week.”
Ski week means many people will be taking off for the mountains Friday (Feb. 16) before the holiday, which is historically a horribly congested day to drive to the Tahoe region, no matter if one is traveling on Highway 50 or Interstate 80.
The great news for skiers and riders is it snowed earlier this week – most Tahoe ski resorts got between 6-16 inches. It promises to be a very busy next 10 days for anyone involved in lodging in the Tahoe area,
“The fluffy white snow is perfect timing ahead of Presidents Day weekend and Ski & Skate week,” said Granlibakken spokesperson DJ Ewan, whose resort has 190 rooms in Tahoe City. “The snow conditions are really looking great and some smaller storms on the back of this one will keep on freshening things up for everyone coming to Tahoe to enjoy this traditional week of snow fun ahead of spring.”
LATEST TAHOE SNOW REPORT BELOW
WORLD CUP EVENT: One more thing about the next 10 days – they conclude with the Stifel Palisades Tahoe World Cup at Palisades Tahoe, scheduled for Feb. 23-25.
The event is one of only four on the World Cup circuit this season in the U.S. Palisades Tahoe (formerly Squaw Valley) will host men’s Giant Slalom and Slalom events on Dog Leg and Red Dog face.
The Giant Slalom will take place Saturday (Feb. 24) with the first run starting at 9:40 am and the second run at 1:15 pm. The Slalom competition takes place Sunday, starting at 9:40 am and followed by a second run at 1:15 pm.
On Friday (Feb. 23), the Kick-Off parade is set to begin at 5:30 pm and will celebrate the start of the Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup with a parade in the village. The participating skiers will lead the way from resort’s Coffeebar to KT Base Bar.
World Cup tickets can be purchased here.
“We are thrilled to welcome back the Audi FIS World Cup to Palisades Tahoe in 2024,” said Dee Byrne, President and COO at Palisades Tahoe. “This event holds a special place in our hearts. It celebrates the incredible talents of some of the world’s best ski racers while inspiring the next generation of elite athletes.”
READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Tahoe ski resorts big and small are looking forward to an extremely busy next 10 days. One of them is Diamond Peak, a family-friendly ski resort in Incline Village that is known as “Tahoe’s hidden gem.”
Diamond Peak reported 6 inches of snow Thursday morning and will be getting more from several storms that will be hitting the Tahoe region, starting Saturday and extending into early next week.
“Conditions at the resort are super fun right now,” said Diamond Peak spokesperson Paul Raymore. “I was able to get out (Thursday) and ski all the gladed tree skiing zones around the mountain and found fresh powder everywhere I looked. With the President’s Day weekend and the Ski/Skate week holiday period coming up next week, we couldn’t have asked for better timing of this latest snowfall.”
Sugar Bowl is also primed for a good holiday period of skiing and riding. The resort, located off Interstate 80 at the Donner Summit, has received 231 inches of snow for the 2023-24 season, the most among Tahoe ski resorts.
“With over 5 feet of fresh powder in February and more coming down in the next several days, the skiing and riding is amazing,” a Sugar Bowl email stated. “The past two weeks have boasted the best conditions of the entire season with both stormy powder days and smooth sunny groomer days in the mix.”
WEATHER FORECAST: According to OpenSnow.com, snow showers should begin Saturday (Feb. 17) and come down heavier into the evening hours.
There’s an expected break in the weather with a partly cloudy Sunday. Rain and snow will arrive Sunday night into Monday and could dump between 2-3 feet of snow at several Tahoe ski resorts. The snowfall is expected to linger into Wednesday.
Saturday night’s snowfall will likely be measured in inches, but Sunday’s totals may be best measured in feet, according to the National Weather Service in Reno. The Service says now the snow could start falling at a rate of 2 to 3 inches an hour, leaving up to 3 feet in the higher elevations by Monday morning.
“You can just feel the vibe,” Mt. Rose spokesperson Mike Pierce told the Reno Gazette Journal. “It’s shaping up to be what winter in Tahoe is supposed to feel like.”
OpenSnow.com predicts drier weather later next week and a colder weather pattern for the end of the month into early March.
TAHOE SNOW REPORT (reported Feb. 15)
- Boreal: 16 inches
- Sugar Bowl: 14 inches
- Mt. Rose: 14 inches
- Soda Springs: 13 inches
- Palisades Tahoe: 12 inches
- Sierra-at-Tahoe: 10 inches
- Granlibakken: 9 inches
- Heavenly: 9 inches
- Northstar: 9 inches
- Kirkwood: 9 inches
- Tahoe Donner: 8 inches
- Diamond Peak: 6 inches
- Homewood: 4 inches
