Two Tahoe ski resorts – Heavenly and Kirkwood – announced Monday (March 7) they would be extending their ski seasons.
Located in South Lake Tahoe, Heavenly has added an extra week to its planned ski season, pushing the date back to Sunday, April 24.
Kirkwood is located off Highway 88, 36 miles from Heavenly. Kirkwood will extend its season by three weeks, with a closing date of Sunday, May 1.
Both resorts put a caveat on the closing dates. They are dependent on weather and snow conditions.
“Our operational teams are focused on a variety of factors, including snowpack and elevation,” Vail Resorts spokesperson Dennis Baggett said. “Our hope is that all of our pass holders and guests can enjoy the rest of the season, especially given the excitement that comes along with spring skiing and the diversity of terrain offered between Heavenly and Kirkwood.”
Heavenly and Kirkwood form two-thirds of the Vail Resorts in the Lake Tahoe region. The third resort – Northstar California – is expected to close Sunday, April 17.
“Overall, we’re really pleased with how this season has gone – we’ve focused on providing a great guest experience and are looking forward to finishing the season strong, with some really excellent spring skiing/riding in the mix,” Vail Resorts’ West Region Director of Communications Sarah Roston recently told the Tahoe Tribune.
SEASON SNOW TOTALS DOWN: Snow total averages for Tahoe ski resorts will most likely be down for the 2021-22 season, barring a Miracle March or heavy April totals.
Kirkwood has received 239 inches of snow this season and Heavenly has the lowest total among area resorts with 212 inches.
Kirkwood averages approximately 450 inches of snow each season and Heavenly gets 360 inches. There are multiple Tahoe ski resorts that average 400-plus inches of snow each season.
SEE TAHOE SEASON SNOW TOTALS BELOW
Only four Tahoe ski resorts have exceeded the 300-inch total this season. Mt Rose and Northstar both have 308 inches, while Boreal and Homewood are reporting 301. Palisades Tahoe is next with 298 inches.
UNUSUAL SEASON FOR SNOW: Despite an odd season for snow – the majority of it arrived over a two-week span in December – Tahoe ski resorts have deemed the season a success.
One can thank Mother Nature for the barren slopes early in the season. There was a promising snowfall in late October, allowing both Palisades Tahoe and Boreal to open prematurely on Oct. 29.
However, rising temperatures and rain over the Donner summit halted skiing at both resorts following the Halloween weekend.
Tahoe ski resorts have been dependent for more than a decade on snowmaking for the bulk of its early-season snow. But this year, nightly temperatures didn’t drop enough to warrant regular snowmaking.
There was virtually no snow in November at Tahoe ski resorts. There was only one legitimate, non-beginner ski lift open (at Boreal) among Tahoe ski resorts for the Thanksgiving weekend.
Roughly three weeks later, the first of a series of storms hit the Lake Tahoe region and resorts quickly began opening with an abundance of snow.
The snow was coming in bunches, between 6 ½ to 11 feet in one huge week. With three days left in the month, Lake Tahoe’s December snowfall record had already been shattered.
The new December total was 202 inches, according to the Central Sierra Snow Lab, which does its regular measurements at its Soda Springs location on Donner Summit. The previous record was 179 inches, set in 1970.
“It was great to start the season off with that huge holiday storm cycle that dropped 14-plus feet of snow on the resort and allowed us to open up with 100-percent of our terrain available to ski/ride,” said Paul Raymore, marketing and sales manager for Diamond Peak.
Although there was virtually no snow in January and not much in February, skiers and riders have still regularly visited Mt. Rose and other Tahoe ski resorts.
“Mt. Rose has had a very strong year with a record February. We had (a great) President’s Weekend and San Jose schools being out the following week led to elevated business,” Mt. Rose spokesperson Mike Pierce said.
There’s also the hope that some major storms will arrive this month. Tahoe has experienced a number of Miracle March months in the past.
“Obviously, powder seekers would like to see more snow. And we’re hoping for a Miracle March to come in and freshen up the slopes and make the off-piste areas skiable again,” Raymore said. It’s happened many times in the past, so hopefully 2022 will be another of those years.”
TAHOE SEASON SNOW TOTALS (March 5)
- Mt. Rose: 308 inches
- Northstar: 308 inches
- Homewood: 301 inches
- Boreal: 301 inches
- Palisades: 298 inches
- Sugar Bowl: 289 inches
- Alpine Meadows: 222 inches (base level)
- Kirkwood: 239 inches
- Diamond Peak: 226 inches
- Tahoe Donner: 225 inches
- Heavenly: 212 inches
- Soda Springs: NA
