Diamond Peak ski resort opens with fresh snow

Tahoe Ski World

skiing in Lake Tahoe

Diamond Peak ski resort opens with fresh snow

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Smiles and fresh snow were everywhere Thursday at Diamond Peak ski resort, which staged its opener for the 2023-24 season.

Diamond Peak ski resort opened Thursday with 4 inches of fresh snow and offered top-to-bottom skiing and riding.

Diamond Peak had 4 inches of fresh snow on its slopes when season passholders got in line for the morning’s first chair.

“It is always exciting to kick off the ski season with fresh snow on Opening Day,” said Diamond Peak Marketing Manager Paul Raymore. “We couldn’t have asked for better weather to welcome all of our longtime season passholders back to the slopes for another winter, and introduce a whole new crop of skiers and snowboarders to what makes Diamond Peak special.”

Diamond Peak is definitely unique. As the only community-owned ski resort in the Lake Tahoe Basin, the resort kicked off its 57th winter of operations, offering top-to-bottom skiing and snowboarding on four trails served by three chairlifts.

Located of Highway 431 in Incline Village, the North Tahoe resort features great lakeside views, some challenging terrain, and typically small crowds.

“We are thankful for the hard work of our snowmaking and grooming teams this year,” Raymore said. “Their efforts have enabled us to offer such great conditions on the runs we have open now, and look forward to more terrain opening soon.”

The first 50 skiers and riders to load the Lodgepole chairlift Opening Day (Dec. 7) all received a complimentary BlackStrap and Diamond Peak collab neck warmer, courtesy of BlackStrap’s F1rst Chair program.

Tahoe-area temperatures are forecasted to remain cold for the next week, which should allow Diamond Peak’s snowmaking team to continue making snow and adding new terrain as conditions permit.

There was plenty of snow Thursday morning at the Palisades Tahoe Village and on its mountain, which received 15 inches of new snow.

FIRST MAJOR TAHOE SNOWFALL: Venerable Frosted Flakes have been around for 71 years and would have been the appropriate cereal at the breakfast table Thursday morning following the early season’s largest snowfall to date.

Palisades Tahoe had the most snow among Tahoe ski resorts, reporting 15 inches at its summit Thursday morning (Dec. 7). Sugar Bowl got 14 inches, Mt. Rose recorded 13, while Boreal and Soda Springs both received 10 inches.

The result is Thursday will go down as the first true powder day in the Tahoe region. More snow arrived in the afternoon in the Lake Tahoe region, although it didn’t snow as long, so the totals will likely not match the previous day.

What it means to Tahoe ski resorts is some new resort openings and the nine that are currently open should increase the available number of lifts and trails.

“At the moment our terrain offerings are the same (today), but this new snow will definitely help us as we aim to expand and get more of the mountain open,” Palisades Tahoe spokesperson Patrick Lacey said Thursday morning.

Heavenly ski resort received 6 inches of new snow Thursday morning.

SIERRA-AT-TAHOE OPENING: After cautiously waiting for the first big snowfall, Sierra got its wish with 9 inches by Thursday morning.

The new snow will allow the resort off Highway 50 near South Lake Tahoe to open Saturday (Dec. 9). Sierra plans to operate the Easy Rider Express lift with access to Broadway.

TAHOE SNOW REPORT (December 7)

  • Palisades Tahoe: 15 inches
  • Sugar Bowl: 14 inches
  • Mt. Rose: 13 inches
  • Boreal: 10 inches
  • Soda Springs: 10 inches
  • Northstar: 9 inches
  • Kirkwood: 9 inches
  • Sierra-at-Tahoe: 9 inches
  • Granlibakken: 8 inches
  • Heavenly: 6 inches
  • Tahoe Donner: 5 inches
  • Diamond Peak: 4 inches
  • Homewood: 4 inches

There was certainly reason for optimism Thursday at Sugar Bowl, where new terrain is expected as well.

“Is there anything sweeter than waking up for the first powder day of the year?” a message on the Sugar Bowl website stated. “The 24-hour total is sitting at 14 inches and it’s still coming down. If you are one of the lucky ones able to chase down some morning turns, there’s no doubt you will have a hoot and a holler out there.”

Sugar Bowl drew a nice crowd of skiers and riders for its Dec. 1 opener.

The winds were so severe Wednesday at Mt. Rose that the Nevada ski resort closed for the day. Mt. Rose was the first Tahoe ski resort to open this season and heading into Thursday had perhaps the most available terrain – four lifts and 10 runs. The Mt. Rose website was reporting that lift holds are possible Thursday.

TAHOE SKI RESORT OPENINGS

  • Mt. Rose: opened Nov. 10
  • Boreal: opened Nov. 17
  • Heavenly: opened Nov. 21
  • Palisades Tahoe: opened Nov. 22
  • Northstar California: opened Nov. 23
  • Soda Springs: opened Nov. 24
  • Sugar Bowl: opened Dec. 1
  • Kirkwood: opened Dec. 1
  • Diamond Peak: opened Dec. 7
  • Sierra-at-Tahoe: Dec. 9
  • Granlibakken: Dec. 15
  • Homewood: TBA
  • Tahoe Donner: TBA

 

 

 

 

 

Another Tahoe ski resort now open.