If you’ve been a skier or snowboarder the past decade or more, you have realized one thing – the winter sport ain’t cheap.
At major destination ski resorts, daily lift tickets were commonly $50 or less in the 1990s and early 2000s. However, those days are long gone.
A single-day, walk-up lift ticket at a major resort in Lake Tahoe – especially on the weekend or a holiday period – now costs around $300.
And the best way to find affordable skiing is through season passes (like the Epic and Ikon pass) or advance online purchases, which offer significant discounts. High day-ticket prices encourage skiers to buy season or multi-day passes earlier in the season, securing revenue and reducing reliance on daily sales.
But there are still deals out there, primarily from smaller resorts. One of the few this year in the Lake Tahoe region is Diamond Peak. In honor of the resort’s 60th anniversary, Diamond Peak has announced multiple days of $60 lift tickets.
Lift tickets are $60 on these six dates below at Diamond Peak, which opened in 1966.
- January 14
- January 29
- February 9
- March 17
- March 27
- April 19
For ages 24-64, the typical lift ticket at Diamond Peak is $137. The cost is reduced to $116 for seniors (65-79) and ages 13-23. For ages 7-12, a lift ticket costs $53.
Also, there are $60 deals available for rental packages and another $60 deal for first-time ski and boarder lessons. Click here to check out the deals.
Located off Highway 431 in Incline Village, the North Tahoe resort features fantastic lakeside views and typically small crowds. There are 7 lifts, 28 trails, 13 glade zones, and three terrain parks. The base elevation is 6,700 feet and rises to 8,540 feet at its summit.
What’s also appealing about Diamond Peak is the resort is often able to remain open when most Tahoe ski resorts are closed on extremely windy days. Due to its location, the Nevada resort is wind protected because it has lots of trees to help block some of the worst of the winds. It’s also devoid of any terrain where avalanche danger is a concern.
CALIFORNIA PARTNERSHIP: Ski California, the industry association representing 36 downhill and cross-country ski areas in California and Nevada, recently announced it is partnering with OpenSnow as the official source of its snow forecasts.
OpenSnow is a trusted source for accurate U.S. weather forecasts, snow reports, and AI-powered weather maps. It has long been a valued source of storm forecasting in the Lake Tahoe region.
“OpenSnow’s lead Sierra forecaster – Bryan Allegretto – has been accurately predicting snowfall for ski areas in California and Nevada for years. So, aligning with OpenSnow and looking to him as our lead snow forecaster was a natural choice,” said Ski California president John Rice.
For nearly two decades, Allegretto’s daily, detailed forecasts have become the beacon by which people make informed decisions about where and when they want to recreate in the snow, when to travel or avoid it, when the best conditions will occur for resorts to make snow, or how the weather might impact resort operations.
“Our intention has always been to provide skiers, snowboarders and ski area operators and their teams with the most accurate snow forecasts possible,” Allegretto said. “To us, aligning with Ski California and producing their official snow forecasts means the industry knows both they and their guests can rely on the accuracy of our forecasts.”
WEATHER FORECAST: According to Allegretto, sunny days and mild temperatures should continue for another week in the Lake Tahoe region. This week has been characterized by sunny, bluebird days and mild temperatures with virtually no wind.
The pattern starts to shift beyond Jan. 20 with some colder air moving into the region. Weak storms are also possible beyond Jan. 22.
For now, expect the chance for weaker systems from the north between Jan. 22-25. The models show increasing precipitation beyond the Jan. 22, but not a lot.
